The NoLife Queen
by Metropolis Kid
Summary: Can one kind hearted, young English woman turn the heart of a beastly king and save her people from destruction? An AlucardxSeras fic set in an alternate reality where Dracula succeed in his conquest of England and vampires rule the land. Rated T for now.
1. Prologue

**The No-Life Queen**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own any material contained within this story. All copyrighted content remains the property of the person, people, or organization that holds the copyright. This story is solely for fun.

**AN:** Shamelessly ripped from the Biblical story of Esther... obviously with some liberties taken. :p This is the tale of a 'bear' of a king and the unlikely queen who managed to turn his heart... only this time with vampires! Yeah, crossing the Bible with a vampire tale is probably one of my stranger ideas... but it ought to be interesting to see how it turns out, no? ;p Anyway, this is a story about what might've happened if Abraham Hellsing had been unsuccessful in stopping Dracula's conquest of England 100 years ago. The story is made up of mostly Hellsing characters - hence why it's filled under the Hellsing category - but you're going to see a few characters from other things mixed in. Don't worry, it should all be fairly easy to follow. Well, guess I should probably stop yakking and get to it. Hope you all enjoy. ;)

**PS:** Oh, yeah, just to let you know, Seras is only a baby for this opening Prologue, but after that the story will jump to nineteen years later, bringing her to just about the same age as in the Hellsing canon.

* * *

**Prologue:**

The sky was cloddy, and the day couldn't seem to make up its mind whether it wanted to rain or not. Instead the moister hung thick in the air around the young woman who sat in the king's courtyard, causing her clothing to stick to her and overall making her quite uncomfortable. She was sure that the vampires which so infested the land of her ancestors loved the miserable weather, however, as a steady stream of them continued to poor through the outer-gate to seek an audience with their king. None of them liked her, and she was painfully aware of the resentment most of them felt at having to answer to a human, even momentarily. But she was the official in charge of writing down each visitors' name and the purpose for his or her admittance to the castle, so it couldn't be avoided.

Yes, Integra Hellsing was little more than a glorified secretary, but the position was a good one... for a human at least... even if it did mean dealing with arrogant, elitist vampires all day long. Oh, how she hated them, most of them anyway, the way they'd prance around as if the world was theirs. Which, given the events over the past hundred years, it practically was. Even still, they didn't need to go around rubbing everyone's faces in it. They may have been strong, fast, unaging, but they were far from the immortal lords they considered themselves to be. Her own great grandfather, a mere human same as her, had come very close to defeating the most powerful of them. He'd failed in the end, but just the fact that he'd once forced the vampire to flee the land showed that they were not nearly as superior as they considered themselves to be. Oddly enough, it was this same vampire, who her ancestor had nearly defeated, who was one of the few Integra didn't outright hate.

Sure, he was an arrogant, ungodly bastard, same as the rest of them. A hard, unyielding ruler, but fair in his harshness. The same basic laws applied to all citizens of the kingdom, regardless of status or race. And the ruler, Vlad Dracula, seemed to care little whether those he surrounded himself with were human, vampire, were-creature, or anything else - just so long as they were capable and loyal. In fact her own position was a direct reward for her loyalty. A few years ago she'd overheard a couple of the monster's lieutenants plotting to overthrow him and had done her patriotic duty in reporting the conversation to a palace guard. As a reward she was removed from her position as a kitchen server and granted a far more prestigious one as one of the palace's gate-keeper/chroniclers.

Yes, Integra didn't care much for vampires. But if her people _had_ to be ruled by the unholy creatures, she did at least take some solace in the fact that the Lord had not completely abandoned her and His other servants and had at least insured that the No-Life King was a fair... if somewhat tyrannical ruler. Surely he was better than most of the conniving, elitists who sought an audience with him.

An old woman approached Integra's little desk and without conscious thought the official launched into her usual set of questions as she prepared a new form. "Name?"

"I am Jessica."

"Last name, please."

"Fletcher."

"Uhuh, and your purpose here?"

In lieu of an answer, Jessica merely set a cooing baby down on top of Integra's pile of forms then turned and started walking away.

"Now see here, you can't just go leaving babies lying around," Integra vehemently protested. Just how senile was this old woman? "This is the king's courtyard, not a nursery. You'll have to find someplace else to leave your granddaughter." Integra stood up and picked up the child, holding her under the arms and as far away as possible, then took a couple of steps and quickly handed her back over to the old woman.

"The child is yours," the old woman replied as she rocked the infant.

"What?" Integra responded in a mixture of confusion and frustration. "Look, lady, I don't know what your angle is, but you might want to try this scheme on a man instead. I'm quite certain _I'd _know if I had a child."

"The child was born to your cousin Sarah Victoria, Richard Hellsing's daughter, and her husband. They were both killed a week ago. I'm surprised you haven't heard."

"I... We're not really in contact. Relations with my uncle have always been... strained."

"I see. Well, a gang broke into the house in the middle of the night. They killed both of little Seras's parents, possibly as retaliation for the father locking up their leader two days before. You are the child's last living relative."

"Well that's... wait, what about Richard?"

"Your uncle died two years ago, Cancer. You are the last, so it falls to you to raise the child... or she'll be placed in an orphanage."

"An orphanage?"

"Why yes. The child must go somewhere, and you're her last living relative. If you won't take her... or are unable to take her for some reason, she'll become a ward of the state and be sent to an orphanage."

Integra didn't like that idea. Vlad Dracula was not big on social programs unless he got something back for his efforts. The state run orphanages were merely a stepping stone on the way towards military service. Children placed within them were inevitably conscripted when they came of age... and most often turned as well.

"I..." Integra swallowed hard. She couldn't do this... could she? What did she know about raising a child? She wasn't the nurturing type. Heck the only pet she'd ever had, a bloodhound puppy, had even run away on her! Then she looked down at the child, her last living relative and pictured the girl serving as a vampiric shock-troop in Dracula's army. How could she let this little innocent be turned into a godless killing machine? "I'll take her."

Jessica smiled and handed the child over once more. "You'll be a good mother... I can tell."

Integra eyed the fidgeting little bundle placed in her care as if sizing up an opponent. "I'm not so sure about that," she replied as she continued to hold the child out as far as possible from her body, and little Seras started to look around and then began to cry. "What's going on? Is she hungry?"

"No, she's scared. You can't hold her like that. Here, bring her in close and support her head."

"Like this?" Integra asked as she followed the older woman's instructions, and the baby stopped crying.

"Yes, that's the way."

Seras cooed again and her stubby little hands reached for a lock of Integra's long hair. "Well, I suppose she is kind of..." Integra's words were cut off as the child grasped her hair and pulled it with surprising strength. "Youch, that's some grip you've got."

Jessica chuckled. "You two will do fine with one another. You'll see."

* * *

Well, what did you think of the opening? This is more or less just to set the stage for what happens in the rest of the story. But I still hope you enjoyed it. I'm planning to write the first chapter - hopefully have it posted in less than a week - then I'll take stock of how it's coming along and decide if I think it's worth continuing or if I should take it down and just concentrate more on my other fics. Well any feedback is appreciated - positive or negative - just so long as it's constructive.

Have a good day, and God bless.

Metropolis Kid.


	2. Better Is He Who Controls His Temper

**Better Is He Who Controls His Temper Than He Who Takes a City**

**AN:** After debating for quite a while about who should be Dracula's original queen in this story - you know the one who gets exiled in the first chapter - I finally settled on Lucy instead of Mina. I know that Mina is the more popular of the two and the only one who really played a part in Hellsing (even if said part was as a skeleton subjected to experiments by some insane 'Doctor'), but after thinking about it talking it over with one of my friends (Lila) I decide Lucy just fits this story better. She's closer to the Queen Vashti (at least what little we know of her) in the original Biblical tale. So yeah, sorry if you were hoping to see Mina (and I apologize to any of my readers who I told _would_ see Mina this chapter - like Alastor Vega), but Lucy just fits the story better.

* * *

Nineteen years had come and gone since the day when Integra Hellsing had taken the baby Seras Victoria into her home, and the girl had grown in both body and mind, yet somehow she retained an almost childlike innocence that her adoptive mother found both endearing and unusual, given the turbulent times they'd lived through. It was the one hundredth and tenth year of Vlad Dracula's reign over all of the British Commonwealth, and the easterner lands of the Czar had just yielded to his control, following a long and bloody war that had lasted the better part of thirty years. The nation was at peace once more, though few in the kingdom thought it would last. Their king's appetites were both legendary and voracious, and the people knew that eventual his eye would turn to a new land to conquer. But for the moment there was peace, and upon the anniversary of Vlad's ascension to the British throne, he threw a lavish, weeklong party for his generals, heads of state, and all the foreign dignitaries in his realm.

While outside the palace, the common citizens enjoyed a year free of taxes, a reprieve only made possible by the large tribute paid by the current Czar, inside the palace over a nearly half of this tribute was whittled away on a week of sinful indigence and riotous living. The main hall of the palace was draped in silk and velvet and encrusted with gold and bronze. Artisans had been hired to crave the likeness of the king and each of his generals into pillars of marble, and these too ordained the center room, while marble slabs embedded with emeralds and pearls had replaced the plainer looking carved stones of the palace walkways. Expensive wine and fresh blood flowed from golden pitchers into goblets of the same. It was excessive. It was wasteful, but it was also an important tactic in Vlad's plan.

The war had not been popular with other nations, many of whom feared they might be next, nor indeed among some of Vlad's own citizenry, whose taxes had nearly doubled over the last three decades to pay for the war abroad. And now that the war was won, his people would have a rest from their taxes, and the representatives of the other nations would drink themselves stupid at the most excessive party any of them had ever been too. All would share in the spoils of war, and as a result they would be the more willing to support the king's future ambitions.

On the sixth day of the festival, when the king and his guests were swelled with all manner of strong drink and the palace dancers - glorified harem girls - were gyrating upon the stage, Vlad turned to the ambassador to his right. "They are quite beautiful aren't they?" he asked with the confident, slightly lopsided grin of an intoxicated man showing off a prized possession.

The ambassador from America - a nation that had been a strong ally of Vlad's kingdom since more than fifty years earlier, when together the two had put down an axis of powerful nations who sought to conquer the who world and divide it up amongst themselves - smiled slyly back. "They are, indeed, quite lovely. But their beauty still pales in comparison to that of our women."

"Blah, you prancing, sparkly vampires, always bragging about your beauty," the king replied and then hiccupped from his drink. "I think it's time I put you in your place," he continued jovially. "For you see there is not a woman alive... or dead... or anything else who can match my queen's splendor." He then motioned for one of the palace servers. "You, yes you, in the ridiculous hat, tell..." the king hiccupped again then stopped and stared at his goblet. "Hey, I can see the bottom of this," he commented somewhat absently.

"More blood wine?" the servant in the red and yellow, pointy tipped hat asked.

"What? More wine? Yes, YES, more wine, more blood. More everything. It's a party, is it not? And when I throw a party, I really throw a party!"

"Yes, my king," the server replied as he came over to fill his ruler's goblet.

"Oh, and fetch my queen. It's about time I show this upstart" - the king slapped said, 'young upstart' with an open palm upon the latter's back - "that my kingdom is superior in every regard." The king then laughed and poked the server in his side before continuing, "Including the beauty of its women."

"As you wish, Sir," the servant replied as he left to fetch his liege lord's No-Life Queen.

"Now... now you will see," the king continued to the ambassador. "My Lucy will put all your women to shame."

The sever returned about fifteen minutes later, pale grimace upon his face. "Well?" the king asked upon seeing the servant's return. "Where is she?"

The servant gulped. "I-I... that is to say... the queen is in the middle of hosting her own party for your guest's wives, as you know and... and..." The servant gulped again but then, seeing the expression on his master's face, figured he'd better finish his report before the monster's short patience was completely exhausted. "She's not coming," he finally blurted out.

"WHAT?"

"She... she says that she's too busy right now."

"I call for my queen, and she's too busy to answer?" Vlad growled.

"I'm sorry, my king, but... but she says you can come to her if-" the servant's words were cut off as Vlad's head morphed into that of some unholy creature and let out an ear splitting roar.

The king was upon his servant in a flash. "My queen refuses to come to me, but expects me to go to her?" the beastial, non-human growled as his hand tightened around the server's neck.

"P-please, Sir, it is not my fault. I-I'm only relaying her message. I-"

"You," the monster growled his eyes flashing red, and the servant saw his life pass before his eyes. But then the creature paused. He took an un-needed but apparently calming breath and continued, "You are quite right." The monster released his near victim. "It's not your fault. Go, get out of here. You have the rest of the night off. In fact, all of you clear out! Guests go back to your rooms, servers do... whatever it is that you do with your free time. The party's over for the night; it'll recommence in the morning. Now leave."

The room emptied quickly, for as much as the guests had enjoyed the festivities, they knew Vlad's reputation and none wanted to risk his anger. Only a few generals, heads of state, and one ambassador remained; for these were trusted advisors of the king's and they believed that that relationship excused them from Vlad's cry for solitude. The No-Life king shook his head as he slowly made his way back over to the cushioned bench he'd been sitting on a few moments before. "My queen has dishonored me, what should I do?" he mused aloud, asking no one in particular.

Yet it was the American ambassador who posed the first answers. "Great king, live forever, if I may speak?"

"You may," Vlad replied, looking over at his longtime advisor.

"Your Queen has not only dishonored you, but everyone of your guests as well. She has refused your direct order and behaved in a manner most unfitting for a vampiric bride. Dear king, you know that the whole vampiric world looks to you and your kingdom to set the example, and this is as it should be for yours was the first openly ruled by a vampire. But if the disgrace your queen has heaped upon you and your guests is not met with swift retribution it will set a dangerous precedent. Brides everywhere will look upon their husbands with scorn and refuse to abide by their decisions. Dear king, it falls to you to set an example. Let your queen be stripped of her status and write a law that decrees that since she refused to come to you when you called she may never again enter your presence. Exile her from your life, my lord, and then all brides - rich and poor - will learn to honor their husbands."

Vlad looked around the room and when he saw his other advisors nodding in approval of the American ambassador's plan he decided to follow it. "So let it be. As you are all my witnesses, Lucy is my queen no more. Let her be banished from my site and from my life, let all her royal possessions be stripped of her. Only let her remain the women's section of the palace, for though banished from my life, she is still one of the Brides of Dracula, and I will see no foreigner gain power over her. So let it be written; so let it be done."

* * *

Now it came to pass that sometime after Lucy's banishment, when the king's temper had cooled, that he began to miss his queen. Yet, his previous decree was permanent; for the word of the king was law in his land, and even the king himself was bound by that law. He could not so much as look upon the bride who'd once been his queen ever again. And so, the king began to despair the loss of his queen. However, his trusted advisors had a solution in mind for this problem. They suggested that agents be sent throughout the kingdom to invite the most beautiful virgins, who'd come of age, to become the next generation of Dracula's brides and that the member of this new breed who found the most favor in the No-Life King's eyes should become his new No-Life Queen. The suggestion pleased the king, and so he dispatched 'recruiters' throughout his lands.

Seras was a town guard at the time, serving in the unofficial 'human sector' of Dracula's capitol. It was the poorest area of the magnificent and ancient city of London, for much of its residents were simple servants in the houses of the great lords of the land and the foreign dignitaries appointed to Vlad's kingdom. Yet, even here the streets were clean and most of the apartment buildings were fairly well kept up. The pay wasn't great, since the citizens of this area didn't earn much money and thus tax revenue was pretty low, but it was sufficient to meet the young woman's needs, especially since she still lived with her adoptive mother and the latter shouldered most of the rent.

All was not well in this small community however as a number of citizens had disappeared over the last month, and Seras as well as most of those in her precinct suspected that they had a rogue vampire on their hands. Feeding on humans wasn't forbidden in the kingdom of course. Vampires needed blood to survive, and few in Vlad's kingdom were given to the -predominantly American vampiric - perversion of drinking animal blood. Even still there were laws that governed the consumption of human blood.

The blood could be from 'donors' (which given London's skewed vampire to human population meant importing most of the blood supply from the neighboring country side). This blood was extracted by way of needle, and only one or two pints was taken per donation. In this way the donors were able to continue living their regular lives and giving blood on future occasions, once their bodies had had a chance to replenish. This provided the vampires with a steady supply of blood and insured the stability of the kingdom.

Donor blood was not the only legal way of obtaining human blood of course. When a marriage took place between a vampire and a virgin human, the vampire would often drink of the virgin's blood in order to turn her or him. Those vampires who served in the military were also permitted their fill of enemy blood upon the battlefield. And any human condemned to die could have be sentenced to 'execution by draining'. Such sentences were the King's prerogative, and these condemned men and women were either drained by him personally or by another vampire to which he wished to show favor. Occasionally other vampires were even sentenced to execution by draining, but such was rare and reserved for only the most heinous of crimes.

But any other form of draining was strictly forbidden, and those few rogue vampires who choose to disregard this band were in danger of receiving the execution by draining sentence themselves. Unfortunately, though the King would often sentence 'rogues' to such a fate, he still charged the individual town garrisons with apprehending said rogues, a dangerous mission... especially for a normal human like Seras. But such was her duty, and if there was one thing the twenty-year-old, buxom, strawberry-blonde had learned from her adoptive mother, it was powerful sense of duty.

So Seras and her partner, Jack, trolled the back alleyways of the human sector, keeping a watchful eye out for any suspicious activity or unfamiliar vampires. And around a dark corner, as the sun was just dropping below the horizon, the lightly armored town guards came upon both.

Two males, vampires judging by their fangs, had stopped a young woman on her way home from work. The girl was pretty and looked to be about Seras's age, perhaps a year younger. And while one of the males - a pale blond with long, flowing hair - talked to the women, the other - a heavily pierced and darker skinned one - was maneuvering around her, his eyes roaming over the curves in her body with barely restrained lust.

"I think we've found a keeper, Brother," Seras heard the paler of the two males comment.

"Fuck yeah! Just look at those cans! And that ass! Man, I'd ride her all night long, can't believe she's still a virgin," the heavily pierced vampire brother replied.

Jack keyed his radio and whispered into it. "Possible 10:14 in progress on Fleet Street. Request immediate backup, all available units."

But while Jack was calling for backup, Seras was unslinging her assault rifle and moving towards the opening of the alleyway. Jack grabbed his junior partner's arm to stop her. "What do you think you're doing?" he whispered through gritted teeth. "There's _two_ of them; wait for the backup."

"By the time backup arrives that girl could be dead. We have to save her."

"They haven't done anything illegal... yet . Even if we could take them out, we can't just charge in guns blazing."

"And if we wait until they pounce on her, she'll be history before we can do anything. We have to do something... now."

Jack sighed. His idealistic partner was going to be the death of him; he just knew it. "Fine, keep your gun on them, but don't fire unless they move towards you, me, or the girl. We do _not_ want to be accused of a racial execution."

Seras nodded and the two popped out from around the corner. "Alright, freeze, you two! Hands on your heads... slowly."

The heavily pierced vampire laughed. "Well, well, look what we've got here. Another fine piece of ass... and this one's dressed up as a cop, kinky!" He licked his lips but otherwise remained motionless. "You got some handcuffs there, 'Police Girl'? Want to play a game with us?"

Seras's grip on her trigger tightened, but she held her aim steady. She focused on the closest vampire's chest and watched carefully for any blur that might signify movement. Her gun was loaded with armor piercing rounds, rounds that could punch a hole through steel, and she knew how to aim and shoot. But there was still the question of reflexes. Could she pull the trigger before the vampire's great speed allowed him to move out of the way? She wasn't sure.

"Jan, shut up before you end up putting us in a position where we have to kill two town guards," the blond brother commented as he slapped the back of the other's head. "I apologize for my brother; he can be rather crude at times."

"Hands on your heads and on the ground, both of you!" Jack replied.

"Well, which is it? Do you want my fucking hands on my fucking head or on the fucking ground?"

"Jan, I thought I told you to shut up! Look, officers, you're making a _huge_ mistake. We're recruiters for the King."

"What? Then why were you harassing that women?" Seras asked.

"We weren't harassing her; we were extending an invitation to become one of Dracula's Brides."

"Yeah, you two fuckers are interfering with royal fucking affairs... by which I mean the _fucking_ affaires of our royalty!"

"Easy there, Brother. Officers, I'm going to reach very slowly into my vest pocket and take out my ID. Then you'll see that me and my brother really are agents of the Crown."

"Very slowly," Jack agreed.

The brother pulled out his ID and lightly tossed it over to the town guardsman. "Luke Valentine, Royal Recruiter. It's legit. He is who he says he is."

"Still doesn't give them the right to sexually harass their... 'applicants'," Seras responded as her partner threw Luke's ID back to him.

"Well, ain't you just a fucking feisty one," Jan replied and then chuckled. "Hey, maybe we should give her an invitation too; I'm sure the King could have a lot of fucking fun with her."

The comment was actually meant as a joke, but Luke seemed to take it seriously. "You know, that's not a bad idea. She's certainly pretty enough. You a still virgin, Police Girl?"

"I-" Seras began then stopped to stare in disbelief. "I don't see how that's any of your business," she answered coldly.

Jan moved towards the town guards and sniffed the air a couple times. "Yeah, she's still a fucking virgin, alright. I can smell it on her."

Seras responded by placing the barrel of her gun against the vampire's head. "Not interested."

"Don't be so sure, there are a lot of benefits to being one of Dracula's brides... even if you're not made Queen. Wouldn't you rather live in the palace than struggle to scrape by as a town guard on these streets?" Luke asked as he too approached Seras, laminated invitation card in hand.

"I do just fine, thanks," Seras replied sardonically.

"Just... think about it," Luke continued as he slipped the card into one of the pockets on Seras's vest, his hands lingering longer than seemed necessary for the action.

She glared daggers at the vampire touching her. "Get your hands off me."

Luke made a show of raising his hands into the air. "Okay, okay, no need to get snippish. We were just leaving." Luke and Jan passed by the two town guards and headed around the corner. "You both have your invitations, show them at the palace gate if you want in."

Seras exhaled sharply as the two brothers disappeared around the corner. "Bloody vampires: over fed; over sexed; and over here."

Her partner cracked a smile at her comment then breathed a sigh of relief himself. "Well, at least we didn't wind up dead."

Seras laughed a little. "Yes, there's always that," she replied just as all the town guards in their precinct began to poor into the alleyway in response to their earlier, all but forgotten, call for back up.

"All right, where's the rogue vampire?" their captain questioned, as Seras and Jack shared a sheepish look.

"Yeah, about that..."

* * *

Okay, and there we have our first official chapter. Ended up being a little longer than I'd planned on - I was aiming for 2,000 to 2,500 words. But the set up just took longer than expected. Hopefully you guys and gals don't mind the longer length, and still enjoyed the chapter.

Have a good day, and God bless.

Metropolis Kid.

* * *

To Larisa: Thanks for your reviews - both of them. :D I'm very pleased that you enjoyed the opening so much that you've been checking back each day looking for the next update. In fact, that last review you left, where you informed me of just how eagerly you've been awaiting the next chapter even inspired me to get this posted a day before I was planning. I just finished typing it up early today, and was going to wait until after classes tomorrow to do the proofreading and post. But after your last comment I decided to do the proofreading right away. So, well, thanks again for all the encouragement. :D I just hope the chapter lives up to your expectations. ;) Oh, and thanks also for informing me that that comment about Integra's run away blood hound made you think of Alucard. That wasn't actually intended, but I did get a smile after picturing his Hellhound form running away from little Integra. :) Also, nice catch on the "Murder, She Wrote" reference. Good show; good show.

To Shadow Blackheart: Thanks for the review. :) I'm glad you enjoyed the opening and thought that I did a good job of keeping the character's IC throughout the short prologue. Hopefully you'll have as much fun with this chapter. ;)


	3. To Everything There Is A Season

**To Everything There Is A Season, A Time To Every Purpose**

**AN:** This chapter and the next are going to deviate significantly from the Scriptural story of Esther. But the reason for this deviation is simply that the Bible gives no account on how exactly Esther came to be the King's palace. So, since I consider that the be rather an important part of the story, I'm going to fill it with a mixture of my own musings and the account of Seras's 'turning' from Hellsing. Therefore this is more an attempt to fill in the blanks than to rewrite anything. Hopefully those familiar with the Scriptural account of Esther won't object too strenuously to the liberties I'm taking.

**PS.** I know that in Hellsing, the drinking of one's blood transfers memories and experiences. But I'm going to have to drop that little 'side-effect' from this story. A few of the main plot points just wouldn't work otherwise. Sorry, but for the sake of the story, I hope you'll forgive the discrepancy. ;)

* * *

The King was restless. Rather than quell his lusts, the procession of virgin beauties brought to his bedroom had only served to stir them further. It was too easy. Their bodies... their blood: given up without restraint, without any sort of challenge. Thus what had been pleasurable in the beginning had quickly turned to monotony. Past the initial release of pent up energy, sex was empty without emotion to back it up. And Dracula had drunk his fill of cheaply offered blood. After all, without a challenge, what joy was there in victory?

Vlad Dracula was first and foremost a conquer, a hunter. But in this land of his own making, there was little left to hunt. That was what drove him onto campaign after campaign. In his own land, he was a hunter without prey. But upon the battlefield, he could find all the excitement and challenges he craved. Alas, his kingdom was at peace... for now. And he dared not risk another war so soon. His land and his people needed time to recover, time to reap the benefits of victory before he could again marshal them with full support. And so the king was left... restless, bored, and despite, all the pleasurable company awaiting his call, very much alone.

With an annoyed grunt, the monster rose from his open coffin and headed towards the nearest palace window. The breeze caused the long red curtain to flap around him as he inhaled the cool night air. Somehow, that helped to soothe him, though only slightly. The monster paused and looked up at the moon shining brightly overhead. It was a full moon. In ancient times it had been known as a 'hunter's moon'. And as Vlad remembered this, he felt his cravings grow stronger once again.

He looked down on the city, his city, his capitol. But all was at peace, at least as far as he could see from his palace. No challenge, no excitement. Nothing but the evidence of a well run and stable society. At once the beastly king took pride in this fact and felt angered by it. This was what he'd worked towards his whole life, a strong, stable empire. Even still, as was often the case, the warrior found that what he had craved for so long had left him strangely unfulfilled.

Perhaps? Perhaps he'd been craving the wrong thing all along? Perhaps, in the wake of his abuse, the quest to prove his worth through battle, conquest, and the humiliation of those who'd once been his tormenters had been the wrong path? Perhaps he'd chosen poorly all those years ago, that what he thought he wanted out of life wasn't what he really wanted at all?

Vlad growled at himself. This wasn't like him. He was not one given to second guessing his choices. The past was the past, and no one could change it. Better to live in the present. Unfortunately, it was his present state that caused him to be so oddly introspective in the first place. He was bored, pensive, and his mind was wandering to places best left unexplored.

He needed a diversion, a real diversion. And he would have one. He turned back towards his coffin, towards the new bride lying within, sleeping soundly after their previous exertions. No, he would find no worthwhile diversion there. After all, he'd just been with her and yet he still felt empty and hungry. He was bored of mere playthings and needed something else.

Then the king turned back to the window and looked out at the night sky once more. It was calling to him. He looked down at his capital again but this time focused on the darker, shrouded areas beyond the palace, the poorer sectors. And then he remembered a report that had come across his desk a few weeks ago.

Humans were disappearing from the poorer sectors. The cause was unknown, but a rogue vampire was suspected. Well, he very much doubted he'd get a great deal of excitement out of the destruction of some low level upstart, one who probably couldn't last more than five seconds in a real battle. But then... who said it had to be a real battle? The monster grinned. He could take his time, and play with his prey like a lion with a mouse. And there was the chase as well. Surely that would give him some excitement. The grin suddenly morphed into a toothy smile as the King began to shake off his doldrums. Suddenly he vanished beneath a massive, shadowy substance. Then the shadows broke apart and transformed into a flock of red-eyed, vampire bats.

The bats flew out the open window and into the night. Then they broke formation and scattered, each going about an independent search of the city's poorer areas. And as they flew, the monster found himself freed of the last lingering bits of his pensive attitude. The night was perfect. This was his capitol, and the hunter yet had prey to stalk... and kill.

* * *

Seras hefted her partner up from the floor. She draped his arm over the back of her neck and her left shoulder and held it there as she shifted his weight to her. "Come on, we're going to get you out of here," she called out encouragingly as she started to drag him beside her.

"No," the man rasped through labored breaths. "It's all ready too late."

"Don't... don't talk like that. Remember when you took that bullet last year? The doctor only gave you a thirty percent chance of walking again. But you did it. You pulled through, then got right back out there. You'll make it through this too; you'll see."

"Not..." The man let out a pained groan. "Not this time, Kitten." Jack looked down at his mangled leg. "I can feel the infection in my blood. It's too late."

"No," Seras cried despite the fact that she knew her partner was right. Once the ghoulification began to take hold, there was nothing that could be done, nothing but...

"Please, end my suffering... before I turn into... into one of those." The man motioned towards the bodies of a couple of slain ghouls, the same ghouls that had gotten the jump on the two and torn up his leg.

Seras shook her head. "I-I can't."

"Please," her partner pleaded. "I've served my country with honor, let me die with dignity. As I am; not as a mindless husk."

Seras nodded and set Jack down. She pulled her sidearm from her belt, leaving the assault rifle to dangle from the strap which hung from her left shoulder. Her arm shook uncontrollably as she aimed at her partner's chest, his heart specifically. She could've taken aim at his head, but she wanted to leave that intact. His family didn't need to see him with a gaping hole in his face.

Tears welled up in Seras's eyes and spilled down her cheeks. He was her partner, her friend; how could she do this? How could she kill him? He was her partner, her friend; how could she refuse his last request?

"It's okay, Kitten. Things can't always work out the way we hope. Just... just tell my wife and kids that I love them... and I'll see them again, on the other side."

Seras nodded once more, then pulled the trigger. The bullet ripped through her partner's heart, ending both his life and his suffering, but not before he had the chance to whisper out one final comment: "Thank you, Partner." And with that, Jack closed his eyes and passed from the world of the living.

Seras's sorrow began to turn to anger, and she firmly gripped the automatic weapon by her side. They'd already radioed for backup, and she knew she should wait for the reinforcements. But in that moment she didn't really care. That disgusting, diseased vampire had forced her to put a bullet through her partner's heart, and all she wanted right then was to find the rogue... and end him.

So, rather than staying put and waiting for the backup to arrive, Seras continued on through the old, abandoned cathedral, unaware of the black bat that had been observing her as she dutifully spared her partner from a fate worse than death. Said bat grinned, the action looking very out of place - and more than a little creepy - on what appeared to be a mere rodent with wings. The creature then dissolved into a dark, mist like substance and passed through the closed window it had been hovering behind. It reformed and began to follow discreetly after her.

* * *

And that concludes our second official chapter. I hope it lived up to the expectations set by the first two and that you guys and gals had run reading it. ;) I'm going to try to get the third chapter up in just about another week. It should cover Seras's transformation and her coming to the palace. Maybe a little bit more too, depending on how long it takes me to cover that event.

Have a good day, and God bless.

Metropolis Kid.

**PS.** Oh, BTW, I hear that NBC hasn't renewed Chuck for a fifth season yet. So, _please_, if there are any Chuck fans in the audience who also have facebook accounts, go to my profile, click the "SAVE CHUCK!" link, and "like" the page it brings you to (thanks, Lila, for informing me about the online petition :D). And thanks to all of you who take the time to help try to save this great show. ;D

To Larisa: Glad to hear you enjoyed the last update and got a kick out of Luke and Jan as Royal Recruiters. :) I hope you had as much fun with this one. It's a little shorter, but then I did also just update Knowing Normal. That chapter was a little longer than expected, so it took up a small bit of the writing time I'd set aside for this. Next chapter should be within the target word range. ;) Anyway, thanks for the review, and congrats on being the first to nail that Beauty and the Beast reference! ;D Oh, as for what the brides' lives are like, I'm hoping to work in a couple of little snippets of that after Seras arrives at the palace. So, wish me luck on that. Hehe ;p


	4. O Death, Where Is Thy Sting?

**O Death, Where Is Thy Sting? O Grave, Thy Victory?**

**AN:** Hey, guys and gals, sorry about the little delay. Bioware just came out with a new RPG last week, and I'm afraid I've been entirely too absorbed in it of late. :p PRGs are great - especially Bioware and Bethesda ones - but they do suck up a LOT of time... and it's just so hard to pull yourself away from them. Anyway, sorry about being a day late with the update, but at least this one is a little longer than the last. Well, hope you enjoy.

* * *

Seras continued on through the old cathedral, a chill creeping up her spine with each step. She was being foolish, and a part of her knew it. She was all alone; she should wait for backup before continuing. Yet, she drowned this small voice out with anger, with loss, with grief. Her friend and partner was dead, and what was worse, she'd been forced to pull the trigger herself. His innocent blood cried out to her from beyond the grave; the one responsible had to pay. And she would not rest - could not rest - until that debt had been squared, blood for blood, death for death.

Seras entered the congregation hall of the cathedral, a large open area with rows of pews flanking an empty center aisle. And a ghoul leapt down at her from the rafters above. She heard it hiss, took aim and pulled the trigger. The monster was reduced to just another lifeless corpse before it even hit the floor, but all was not well. More ghouls - dozens of them - poured in from the west and east wings, and before long Seras found herself surrounded. She fired, ran, ducked for cover and fired again. As enemy rounds whizzed by her and the monsters crowded in around her, she knew it was hopeless, but if this was to be her last stand, she intended to take as many of them with her as she could.

Her assault rifle clicked empty, and Seras swore, discarded it and drew her pistol. She got off one shot - the round mangling a ghoul's brain - before a commanding voice shouted, "Stop!" from somewhere behind her. Suddenly, the monsters halted, their own guns silenced, and Seras tentatively rose from her cover. She looked around for the one the voice belonged to and found something she wasn't expecting. The man was apparently a priest, a rare sight in the land. For though religion was not forbidden in Vlad's kingdom, it was often frowned upon.

_'They are a largely, proud, godless and perverse lot,'_ Seras remembered her adoptive mother saying more than once_. 'Yet the Lord has seen fit to place us under them, so our duty to Him compels us to serve them to the best of our abilities, save where His own word demands otherwise.'_

_'Had the priest saved her by using some holy right that froze the heathen monsters?' _Seras wondered as she stared strangely at the man. Where had he come from anyway? Was he a native? Unlikely since she couldn't remember ever seeing him before and, as far as she knew, the church her and her mother attended was the last Christian one left in London. Perhaps he'd come from one of the remaining human controlled countries. Could he be here carrying out some Divine mission? Such a thing was not unheard of. Assuming the envoy was not from a country they were currently at war with, foreign priests did occasionally pass through the nation's capitol, and as long as they followed the laws of the land, their presence was... tolerated.

But this man... There was something odd about him. And once Seras's scrutiny passed to the man's eyes, she found herself unable to look away.

"That's right, Child, come to me," the man cooed in a voice that dripped like honey, and Seras realized too late that her 'savior' was no priest, but a wolf in shepherd's clothing.

"N-no," Seras responded and tried to raise her weapon. But her body betrayed her. It refused to listen to her commands and instead seemed compelled to obey the vampire. Against her will it moved towards her captor.

"That's right, Child," the degenerate imposter continued with sadistic pleasure. "Now, are you alone?"

"I-I... Yes,"

"But others are on the way?"

"N-N-Yes."

"I suspected as much. Even still, you didn't wait but came in alone. You must be either very brave... or very foolish." The vampire looked around, briefly surveying the damage the intruder had done. "Hmmmm, I suspect a little of both. But you definitely have potential. Tell me, Girl, are you a virgin?"

_'Why did everyone seem to want to know that tonight?' Seras_ briefly wondered sardonically, then her eyes opened wide as she realized where this was going. Still she could not prevent her moth from forming the answer. "Yes."

The monster smiled widely as he began to undo the top clasps of her shirt, exposing her neck and the very top of her breasts. Seras knew his interest lied more in the former than the later as he smugly declared, "You shall make a fine bride."

The words sent a spike of fear induced adrenaline through the girl, just enough to fuel resistance and she finally managed to raise her gun. "I-I'll blow your head off," she promised, surprising the one holding her. It was next to impossible for a human to resist a vampiric 'charm', once enthralled. But despite the threat Seras's tone was weak, distant. And her captor knew she was already losing what ground she'd gained.

"A fine bride," he repeated as his fangs went for her tender flesh. But then, before they could pierce her skin, a horrible screeching and flapping sound came from behind the vampire and suddenly his intended victim was pulled free of his grasp.

Vampire bats - a whole swarm of them - carried her away even as they clawed at the imposter priest in their passing. He was left stunned, bloodied, and hunched over from the assault as the bats merged and reformed in the center of the room.

"You know the law. No vampire may feed on an innocent without their consent. Normally, there would be a trial for such an offense, but in this case there is no need. I have seen your perversions with my own eyes. Thus you shall die now, you disgusting piece of dog shit," Vlad proclaimed at the rogue vampire as the town guard was set back down on her feet.

"Kill them both!" their enemy shouted in a mixture of fear, anger, and lingering pain.

The ghouls opened fire, as did Seras, who - snatched from the rogue vampire's grasp - had recovered from the spell placed upon her. But this time, she was not ducking behind a pew. She was out in the open, and caught in a crossfire as well. She could not help but go down quickly; still she managed to take two more abominations with her.

Vlad seemed indifferent to the discharge. Whatever damage the rounds did was quickly repaired by his own regenerative capabilities. "Pathetic. You could've at least used silver rounds, you diseased filth!" the King boomed in a derisive tone that betrayed mild offense at his opponents lack of planning. Suddenly spikes dark as night protruded from the King's body and jutted out to impale the surrounding ghouls. They were pulled to him and disappeared beneath a swirling mass of shadows.

"Pathetic," the monster repeated as his 'opponent' fidgeted in terror. "Not even a worthwhile diversion," he continued as he drew upon his prey. "Worthless," the king condemned as he swiped a claw like hand across the other vampire's neck, severing his head in one fell swoop.

The King stood and licked his fingers. "Doesn't even taste decent," he commented almost offhandedly as the rogue vampire's head bounced and his body slumped to the floor.

Then Vlad turned to the young woman who'd fought by his side - however briefly - the sole interesting part of his little outing. "What a waste," the No-Life King commented as he stared down at the dying girl.

The gunfire had ripped through her body, damaging vital organs and spilling far too much blood. She would die; it was a certainty. But that assured death did not necessarily have to be her end.

"Would you like to come with me?" Vlad asked, and the girl tried to reply. But all that came out of her mouth was a gurgle of blood... a very sweet smelling blood. And Vlad frowned, for even he was bound by the laws he'd set. He could not drink the blood of an innocent without their consent, could not turn this girl without an answer.

Then the vampire's eyes caught the tip of something odd protruding from one of the girl's shredded pockets. He reached down and pulled it out to find one of the palace admittance cards commissioned for those seeking to become queen and agreeing to be made brides of Dracula. It was not a verbal consent, but the girl was fading fast and the cards were only suppose to be in the hands of his future brides. The king stared at it for a second and then looked back at the girl. It was enough.

He bent down and opened his mouth to bite down on the girl's neck. She didn't have much blood left, but he only needed a few drops to begin the ritual. His shadows stretched out to the pool of blood around them, and he drew it into himself before moving his lips from the girl's throat to her mouth. He kissed her and poured her own blood back into her body.

Seras coughed at the unfamiliar sensation, but Vlad held her fast and forced the drained life back into her. He wasn't sure how much she'd be able to process, being so recently turned. But even a vampire fledgling could not survive long with how little blood she had left. This was her only chance. And it wasn't until the recycled blood stopped seeping from her wounds and instead began to flow back into her on its own that Dracula was sure his new bride would make it.

He scooped her up, and she drifted off to an exhausted, very deep sleep as the transformation began to take full hold of her. Her head was resting against his chest as he lifted himself from the earth and flew back to the palace.

The King dropped his latest 'convert' off in the woman's section of the palace, and instructed the grey-haired, pointed nose eunuch who saw to the expectant brides and the recently turned to take special care of this one and send her directly to the King's chamber once she had made a full recovery.

The man raised an eyebrow at the unusual state of the girl but nodded his head in acceptance of the order, and the King retired to his own room. The bride he'd left in his coffin was gone now, but Vlad hardly took notice of this fact. Nor did he feel as restless as he had previously. Instead it was curiosity and mild excitement which filled his mind. He was very much looking forward to getting to know - in _every_ sense of the word - this mysterious new bride. And so it was with thoughts of this bride - this bride who's name he'd never gotten, who'd he'd not yet taken, and of who's blood he only retained a few small drops - that the monster fell to sleep... not quite contented, but his boredom appeased.

And in a soft, lightly perfumed bed in another section of the palace Seras slept as well, though not nearly so peacefully. Her dreams were filled with vampires, ghouls, and death. And as her strength began to return she tossed in turned as her subconscious felt her humanity slowly fading away.

* * *

And that concludes our third official chapter. I hope it you all enjoyed it. Once again, sorry about that little delay. And now that the turning is out of the way, we can move onto fresher ground. ;)

Have a good day, and God bless.

Metropolis Kid.

To Larisa: Thanks for the new review. :) Yes, I noticed that you also seem to be enjoying Knowing Normal, and I'm glad to see that you are having such fun with my Alucard and Seras stories. :D Sorry about the little delay with this chapter, but... well, they simply made Dragon Age 2 far too addictive. :p Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the update... and that you're still finding Seras to be "adorable" and exactly how you "know and love her". ;) Yes, the invitation and admittance card by itself wasn't enough explanation for her turning, but as you see they did factor into it somewhat... and allowed me to deviate a little from the Hellsing canon account to - hopefully - allow a little more wiggle room on a few issues that will come up over the next several chapters. Oh, and speaking of future chapters, keep an eye out for Integra as Mordecai at the beginning of the next one, K? ;p

To mina: Thanks for the review and the kind words. :) I'm glad you've been enjoying this so far, and have such a high opinion of my stories in general. :D Hopefully they'll continue to live up to your expectations. ;)

To Christine: Well, in the Biblical account, the King was pretty much sleeping with a different 'wife' each night... at least until he found Esther. It just would've seemed odd to me to change that. Besides, Vlad is not the good guy here - most definitely not in the beginning anyway. Well anyway, thanks for the review. :) I'm glad you've been enjoying this - mostly anyway - so far, and I hope you continue to.

To Shadow Blackheart: Thanks for the review. :) I'm glad you had fun with the first couple of chapters and that they were enough to 'hook' you on the story. Hopefully this one continued the trend and Alucard and Seras's characters are still as "spot on" as ever. ;)

To blizz: I'm glad that you think I'm doing such a good job with Alucard and Seras's personalities and that you're finding the story so "fascinating". :) I hope you had just as much fun with the update. ;) I am actually working on an original novel too, but it's much slower going when you have to come up with everything yourself. So, it's taking awhile. Hopefully it'll have the same ability to draw the readers into the story though. ;D Anyway, thanks for the review. :)


	5. The Fool Shows Annoyance At Once

**The Fool Shows Annoyance At Once, But The Prudent Overlooks Insult.**

**AN:** Happy FF Anniversary, Lila! Got a special little cameo planned for you in this chapter to celebrate. ;)

* * *

It was a bright and sunny morning, the kind of morning the young English woman usually loved, for the ungodly creatures inhabiting the land of her ancestors hated it. Vampires, well most vampires at least, were not truly damaged by sunlight. But they were somewhat weakened by it, and, as a result, most hated it with a passion and preferred to stay in-doors whenever the sun was beaming down from the sky... which, unfortunately, wasn't all that often in England. Sometimes Integra wondered if that was one of the reasons Dracula had wanted her ancestor's land in the first place, it's pervasive lack of clear days.

But today was clear, bright, and sunny. The line of people seeking admittance to the palace was short, and there was not currently a single red eye or fang to be found in it. Normally Integra would've felt lighter, almost joyful from the sunshine, easier workload, and lack of obnoxious, elitist vampires; but that was not the case today. No, today she was both troubled and aggravated.

She was troubled by the fact that Seras hadn't returned home last night. Such a thing was not that uncommon, for Seras was still a rookie guard and often got stuck with the late shift, while Integra - being the only human gate-keeper - was often assigned whichever shift entailed the most daylight. And that meant that there were many times she would have to leave the apartment before her adopted daughter returned, even still she couldn't help but worry a little each time she had to her daughter could return home safely.

Still there was nothing she could do about it, nothing but wait and pray Seras was safe until she returned home. Integra's aggravation, on the other hand, could be remedied much quicker. All she needed to do was get these comically dressed pests out of her hair. "Look, I'll say it one more time, no one gets in to see the King unless they have an appointment or their name is on the admittance, short list," Integra stated through grit teeth.

"But we're not 'no one'," the man in the long, black cape proclaimed. "We're the Magician's Alliance, and we demand to be taken seriously!"

"Yeah!" his fellow cohorts added in.

"Demand all you want. You can't go in without an appointment."

"What's wrong?" the man asked. "Doesn't your king like," he paused for a split second before flourishing his hands and continuing, "MAGIC!" Suddenly a stream of liquid shot out at Integra, staining her blue blouse. "Crap, I've got to get a new flint... Still, where'd the lighter fluid come from?"

Integra jumped up. "That was a new blouse you just ruined with your little trick!" she bellowed at the 'magician'.

"Not trick!" the man defended. "A trick is something a whore turns for money. That... was an illusion!" The man flourished his hands once more but at least this time nothing shot out from his sleeves.

Integra just ground her teeth together. Why did all the idiots seem to pick her shift to try and gain admittance to the palace? In her mind the English woman toyed with the idea of letting them in just to teach them a lesson. For she knew the laws of the land well.

The punishment for entering the throne room unbidden was death, and only those to whom the King showed favor and chose to extend his scepter were spared that fate. Integra highly doubted that the King would grant such consideration to an obvious fool like the man who stood before her. But no, that would not do. After all foolishness by itself wasn't enough of a reason to let someone die, and her new blouse wasn't worth another human's life. Besides, if she let the group enter without an appointment or invitation, she would be shirking her duty as gate-keeper. Still, it was a fun fantasy to entertain for a few seconds.

But once those seconds had passed, the duty-bound English woman took a deep breath and summoned up what little restraint she had left. "Look, you're holding up the line. So go home; call up and make an actual appointment if you want. Or I'm going to call for the gate guards to come 'escort' you out. And trust me, you _don't_ want that." The edge of the lady's lip had a subtle curl to it, and the odd twinkle in her eye was practically begging the man to call her bluff and see what would happen. And that seemed to make even the fool of a magician think twice about continuing to insist on being let in.

"Fine," the man replied. "But this isn't over. You may have kept us out this time, but the Magician's Alliance _will_ be taken seriously. Oh that's right. We'll get into the palace, and when we d-"

"Guard!" Integra shouted, and as the two red-eyed, giant, executioner's ax wielding guards began to approach, the magician's eyes went wide and he and his band turned and ran from the area.

Integra sighed, then sat back down behind her little desk. She closed her eyes, pinched the brim of her nose and shook her head. Why did she always get the loonies? "Next," the woman called out, her eyes still closed. But when she opened them she saw that no one had stepped up to her. Instead they all were kneeling down as a gaudily dressed, sparkling man walked up the King's Path.

Integra just barely managed to keep from rolling her eyes at the overly grandiose display as the one who the King had appointed second in the Kingdom strolled over to her table. His pleased smirk faded somewhat as he looked at her. "You're not kneeling? Don't you know that it's customary to bow-down before the King's Grand Vizier?"

"By royal decree: 'All gate-keepers are to _sit_ in the King's courtyard and keep record of those who seek admittance'. I can't very well sit if I'm kneeling, can I?" The woman countered, conveniently leaving out the fact that she'd gotten up from her seat just a few moments before to shout at the man who'd ruined her knew blouse.

And the sparkly one scoured, for he realized that the woman had a point, and he wasn't about to try to countermand one of the King's orders. "That's a lovely blouse you have there. Too bad about the stain. But I suppose a human can't be expected to take the same pride in her appearance as one who possesses our beauty."

Integra bristled, but managed to keep her cool. "The Bible teaches us that pride goeth before a fall."

The creature huffed. "Oh, so you're one of _those_ humans. I should've guessed."

Once again, Integra managed to keep her fiery temper in check, as she ignored the sparkly one's last comment and assumed a more professional tone. "Name?"

"What? You can't be serious! You know who I am; everyone in the kingdom knows who I am?" the creature protested with more apparent offence than any of the woman's previous statements had been able to provoke.

"It's procedure," Integra replied simply, keeping her business-like tone.

"Is it?" the sparkly one asked. "Edward," he finally answered.

"Edward, yes, your name is on the admittance list. The King will see you," Integra responded then turned to make a note in her log.

And Edward scoured again as he passed the gate-keeper and her little desk.

* * *

Seras awoke with a start. She'd had the most disturbing dream. Ghouls and vampires were everywhere, chasing her down, and at the end she'd been bitten and found herself pale, fanged, and red-eyed. She'd been turned, and as she realized this, the girl awoke with a gasp.

"A dream, it... it was just a dream," Seras said in a relieved voice, but then she began to take notice of her surroundings. The room was big, bigger than her and Integra's entire apartment. The bed was soft, down stuffed if she'd had to guess, and the sheets felt unusually silky against her skin. There was a large, arched opening not far away that led to a balcony, and the heavy, red curtain had been pushed aside to expose the room to the night air. Two candle sticks flanking her bed and the moonlight beaming in through the opening provided the room's only illumination. Yet as she focused, Seras discovered that she could make out every detail in the carved border on the wall and even see the grain in the wooden candle holder to her left. She could see as well as if the room was filled with light, and the girl found this oddity almost as unnerving as her mysterious surroundings.

Frightened, Seras tried to remember how she'd arrived... wherever she was. She remembered the old cathedral, remembered the death of her partner and the rush of the ghouls. But then things got... hazy, almost dream like. She vaguely recalled a vampire... or was that two? Definitely two. One had her in a spell, and the other... the other carried her away from the first. Was that how she got here? Wherever 'here' was?

Seras skewed up her courage and slipped out from under the covers, finding herself dressed in a lacy nightgown that while comfortable was a night-and-day difference from any of the plain pajama sets she owned. Just what was going on here anyway?

The girl approached the large doorway. She wasn't sure she'd be able to get it open by herself. One side of the double doors was nearly twice as tall as her, and the doors appeared to be made out of a very heavy wood. Still, she figured she might be able to open it if she leveraged all of her body weight to do it. She took hold of the polished brass handle and pulled... only to find that the door slid open far more easily than expected. This threw the girl off balance and she went crashing to the marble floor, landing on her rear with a rather undignified yell.

An old man with a pointed nose, perhaps startled by her exclamation, suddenly appeared in the now open doorway. "Ah, so you are awake," he commented as he approached and offered a hand to help the young woman back to her feet. There was an odd kindness about the man, and Seras found herself accepting his offer of help. "There we go. Tell me, how are you feeling?"

"Uh, okay... I guess," Seras answered in an unsure tone.

"Good, good. The King asked about your progress earlier."

"The King?" Seras exclaimed in surprise. "Why would he be asking about me?"

"Oh it was just a fleeting question, a quick thing," the old man replied. "Still it is more concern than he typically shows. But then again his new brides aren't usually wounded like you were. Perhaps he merely wondered if you still died, despite what he'd done to you."

"What? What he'd done to me?"

"You mean you don't remember?" the man asked in a surprised tone. "No, perhaps you wouldn't, given the state you were in. You were nearly dead when he left you in my care after all."

"Dead?"

"Yes, but it seems you've made a fine recovery."

"Wait, I was nearly dead?" Seras asked with concern, then paused. "How... how long was I out?" she continued as she reflected on the fact that whatever wounds she'd had were apparently fully healed.

"Nearly twenty-four hours."

"Twenty-fo- But, but that's impossible!" Seras paused again, concern plain upon her face. "Wait... do you have a mirror?"

"A mirror?" the man asked a little taken back by the sudden question. "There's one on the nightstand beside your bed."

Seras raced back to her bed, grasped the hand mirror and peered into it. Fangs? Red eyes? It was as she feared. "I... I'm a vampire?"

"Why yes, my dear, didn't you know?" The old man responded as he moved closer to the young woman. "You must've wanted this; the King would not have turned you otherwise."

"Wanted? No, I never wanted..." Seras's voice trailed off for a second. "The King! I have to see him!"

"Yes, of course, he asked for me to send you to him once you'd recovered. I'll prepare a scented bath for you, and then you can pick out whatever... eh, 'accessories' you want f-"

"No! I _need_ to see him - now."

Once again the old man looked taken back. But he nodded his head in acceptance. "If that is what you desire. Come, I'll show you to his chamber."

* * *

*Most trusted adviser, and second in the kingdom.

Well, I hope you all enjoyed the update. More Integra in this Chapter than Seras, I think. But then we haven't seen much at all of Ms. Hellsing since the prologue, so I thought it'd be good to sort of flush out what her life is like in this AU a little. She should have a part in the next chapter too, though that one's likely going to focus more on Seras and the King. Anyway, I hope you're all still having fun with this story. ;)

Have a good day, and God bless.

Metropolis Kid.

**To Christine:** Well, I wouldn't recommend reading _all_ the Dracula books. Some of them are pretty dull and uninteresting... or just plain badly written (in my opinion anyway). But if you haven't read through Bram's original novel yet, you'd probably enjoy that. Well, if you enjoy Hellsing at least, since Hellsing is sort of meant to be a more adrenaline fueled semi-sequel to Bram's original. Anyway, thanks for the review. :) I'm glad you're still enjoying this and think that (so far at least) the story as been flowing really well and the characters are IC. Hopefully you'll continue to enjoy. ;)

**To Shadow Blackheart:** Well, I'm happy that you're happy. ;p Seriously though, thanks for the review. :) I'm glad you enjoyed the last update, hopefully you had as much fun with this one. ;)

**To Larisa:** Hehe, I see you did another of those double reviews. So, double thanks. :) :) As to the first review, I'd like to say that, I'm very happy you enjoyed that last update and liked the way Seras reacted during the fight and her confrontation with the enemy vampire. :) Also glad to hear that you think Integra "really fits" the role of Seras's adoptive mother and one of the last Christians in London. :) And I'm happy that you think the invitation card thing worked out so well, and hopefully you'll enjoy how the lack of a verbal consent lets me play around with the two's relationship a little more in subsequent chapters. Now, as per your second review - which was more of a review of the whole story thus far, rather than just the last chapter: I'm pleased that the first few chapter have held up so well in light of the last couple and that things are fitting together smoothly. Also glad to hear you got a kick out of both Integra's line about pulling the whole "the child is yours" line on a man instead and Drunken Alucard at the party. Yes, even a king must be allowed some indulgence every once in awhile... and Alucard ever seemed the type to show restraint (unless he had to for some reason), right? ;p Also glad to hear you're liked the chapter titles so far and got some chuckles out of Seras's brief encounter with the Valentine brothers... as well as that "Doesn't even taste decent" line of Alucard's last chapter. I'm actually planning on bringing that whole can be sentenced to death by draining thing back up again a little later on in the story BTW. Well, as you can see the next chapter's up... though I'm not sure how much it's done to curb your appetite since it didn't really have the chance to cover how Integra feels about her 'daughter's' turning. :) But I hope you still enjoyed. ;) Thanks again for the reviews. :D

**To The Fallen One:** Well, I'm borrowing somethings from the Manga and the Anime - taking _a lot_ from the Biblicaly story of Esther too - but I am trying to weave all of that, plus some of my own ideas, together into a fairly unique - if not terribly original - tale. So hopefully things won't get too stale for you and the story will remain interesting. ;) Thanks for the review. :)


	6. Fear God Honor the King

**Respect everyone. Love Your Fellow Believers. Fear God. Honor the King.**

**AN:** Sorry, but I'm afraid this one's going to be just slightly shy of my 2,000 to 2,500 word goal. The scene between Seras and Alucard ended up taking up around 1800 words. And I don't think I could cram what I have in mind for the next scene into just 200-700 words. So, not wanting to leave you guys and gals with two cliffies in a row, I'm going to stop here and tack that next scene onto the beginning of the next chapter.

**PS:** Oh, to anyone who may be wondering, just like with the whole blood transferring memories thing, Mr. Sparkle's ability to read minds has been suspended for the sake of the plot.

* * *

It was with great determination and resolve that Seras began her trek through the palace. But somehow, that determination and resolve began to erode as the old attendant led her through the darkened corridors, in the middle of the night, the two drawing ever nearer the lair of arguably the most powerful vampire on the planet. And when they finally reached the entrance to the King's chambers and the servant told Seras that she would have to enter on her own, the girl trembled slightly.

Still she persevered and opened the large, ornate door, this time remembering her enhanced strength and succeeding in keeping her feet under her. She stepped slowly, cautiously inside. And then the door, seemingly of its own volition, slammed shut behind her, the sound startling the girl and making her jump.

Seras turned, but saw nothing behind her. So, she continued through the long hallway and further into the King's chamber. Tapestries of dark-red, velvet flanked her on both sides and upon each was an image proclaiming one of the King's past battlefield conquests. They towered over anyone who would enter the room, and Seras felt as if the eyes in each were constantly peering down at her. Even still, she pressed onward.

The hallway opened up into grand room, easily three times the size of the one she'd awoken in. Over two dozen carved pedestals adorned the area. Some held the stuffed heads - human, vampire, and lycan alike - of past enemies whom the King had personally defeated. Others simply held candles, candles which were currently extinguished, as if to drown the room in as much darkness as possible. The only light came from the moonbeams striking the backs of the long drapes that were currently pulled in front of the windows, causing each to glow with a subtle, red illumination. Yet, despite this lack of light, Seras was still aware of everything in the room.

Slowly the lid began to rise from the ebony coffin in the center of the room. The girl swallowed hard. Suddenly she felt like a young virgin about to be thrown into a roaring volcano to satisfy the desires of some pagan god. Still she held her ground.

And then two pinpricks of red joined the room's scarce light sources and a dark voice called to her. "Hello, young one, and welcome to my chamber," it seemed to almost purr in a confident, somehow suggestive tone. And Seras could sense the wolfish grin behind those words.

"We... we need to talk," the girl managed to reply, though intimidation had sucked the fire from her tone.

Suddenly the figure in the coffin disappeared beneath a swirling mass of shadows. They split and darted behind Seras faster than even her newly enhanced senses could track and then pulled back together, the No-Life King reforming behind his new bride. "We can talk," he whispered into the girl's ear as he pressed his body to hers and wrapped his arms around her midsection, "after."

"A-After?"

The monster chuckled, and one of his hands began to trail downwards as the other made its way up north. "You have been my bride for nearly a full day, and we've yet to... 'consummate' the relationship," he cooed as a serpentine tongue flicked across the young woman's neck. "A situation I intend to rectify."

The thin material of Seras's lacy nightgown provided little protection as Dracula's fingers began to play upon her, like a master violinist upon a Stradivarius. And she found a low, pleasurable groan escape her. The King smiled and continued his seductive foreplay. "That's right, just relax... you'll enjoy this."

Then as the monster's fingers began to curl into a previously untouched area of the young woman's body she simultaneously felt her legs weaken... and her resolve strengthen once more. She realized how close they were to crossing another line, and that if she didn't break free of the monster's charms now she would not have the strength to do so as things progressed even further. "St-stop," the girl whispered lightly. "Stop!" she demanded more forcefully a breath later.

And to her relief, the King did cease his ministrations of her body, though his form remained firmly pressed against hers. "Something wrong, my pet?"

Somehow those words - though Seras was sure they were intended to be as seductive as every other move the King had made since she entered his chamber - served only to infuriate the young woman. She was no one's 'pet'. She was a capable, independent, guardswoman. Or at least she had been before this monster tried to take that life away from her and turn her into his personal plaything. "Get off," the girl all but growled, her tone very much surprising the King.

"What?" he asked, his own tone slipping from silky to confused.

"I said, get off of me." And with that Seras pulled away, turned around and slapped the monster across the side of his face.

Vlad brought a hand up to touch the offended cheek as he simply stared at the young woman in shock and confusion for a second. "Who do you think you are?" he rumbled in a low, threatening tone, as the shock gave way to offense.

"Who do I think I am? Oh that's rich." Seras let out a mock laugh. "Who do I think I am? Who do _you_ think you are?"

Vlad's eyes narrowed. "_I _am the King."

"A king who's suppose to be bound by the law, like any other citizen. Or did you forget that, Mister-High-and-Mighty-Dracula?"

Suddenly all patience drained from the King's features as he stood up to his full height and spread himself out, like a bear reading to attack. "I suggest you stop and think before your speak any further," he warned through grit teeth. "Either explain your accusation or stifle yourself. Before you find your pretty, little head mounted on a spike in the outer courtyard!" the savage king roared.

And that threat instilled just enough fear in Seras to calm her outrage. The King was not known to bluff. Still, he was in the wrong, and she was not about to cower and let the offence simply pass. She'd rather be dead than live the life of a palace plaything. "Your law says that a vampire - _any_ vampire - must have consent before turning a human. Now I may not remember my turning too clearly, but I know I never would've consented to becoming undead."

The king softened slightly at the remembrance that, while he had not technically broken his law when he'd turned this young woman, he'd sure bent the hell out of it*. "Would you have preferred being all dead? I turned to you save your life. I would've thought you'd have been grateful."

"Save my life?" Seras asked her own stance softening a little as well.

"Yes, your wounds were severe. Even if you'd already been on an operating room table, human medicine couldn't have saved you. It was undead... or full dead. So I asked you if you wanted to come with me."

"And... I agreed?" Seras asked in a very cautious voice. She found it hard to believe that she could ever agree to being turned into a vampire, even if her life was on the line. Her beliefs told her that dying was not so awful a thing after all. In those few seconds, could her flesh's desire for life have truly overpowered her personal beliefs to the point where she'd accept such a twisted life over the release of death?

"You... gargled something intelligible. But I found the card in your pocket."

"Card? What card?"

"The invitation given to virgin women seeking to become brides of Dracula."

"Invitation given to...?" Seras's eyes suddenly widened in recognition. "Oh." She paused for a moment as the final piece clicked into place and she was able to see what had happened from the perspective of the one who'd turned her. "That... That card was given to me by one of your recruiters," Seras informed, her tone softer than before and laced with a touch of empathy. "I didn't ask for it. The recruiter just slipped it into my pocket and with everything going on at the time, I forgot it was in there."

"Then you didn- Then neither of us knows whether you truly consented or not. " Vlad paused. His tone shifted from surprise and perhaps hurt (?) to a more regal and authoritative one. "A thing once done cannot be undone. You're life as a human ended in that Cathedral, and there's no way I can change that. However, since your consent is in question, I will absolve you of the status as one of my brides. You are a free woman once more, and, do to the extenuating circumstances, your disrespect to your king is forgiven you... this _one_ time."

"Then... Then I am free to go?" Seras asked.

"Ye-" Vlad began but stopped as he seemed to remember something. "No, I cannot allow that. You must remain in the palace, but within this place you are free to do as you desire. You can still call on the servants to attend you, of course, just as any other palace resident may do. And I will not interfere in your life."

"But... But why can't I go if I'm free?"

Vlad suddenly turned away from the young woman and began to head slowly back towards his coffin. "I have given you back as much of your freedom as I can," he replied cryptically. "Take what's been offered, follow the laws of the land, and try to make the best out of your situation."

And Seras, realizing that she wasn't going to get anything more from the King, hung her head sadly and began the long walk back down the hallway that led out of his chamber.

The King turned his head and cast one last look at the young woman sadly departing his chamber, the bride he'd turned and lost all within a day, and felt something subtle stir within him. It was odd, akin to an emotion he'd long since thought lost, and one he was not at all pleased to think might be returning to haunt him once more. Vlad growled and shook his head. It was foolishness. He was beyond such things, and that woman... he'd probably never see her again anyway. The palace was a big place after all, and it was easy for someone to lose themselves in it, if they so desired.

* * *

*Hehe, thanks for the line, Lila. :)

Okay, that does it for chapter six, hope you all enjoyed. ;) Next chapter Integra starts searching for her adopted daughter... and finds a couple of other things along the way. And Mr. Sparkles begins to emerge as the Story's main villain. Oh, and there may just be another Seras scene too, depending on how long the other two take. Well, hope you liked the update, and continue to enjoy.

Have a good day, and God bless.

Metropolis Kid.

**P.S.** Oh, to anyone else who enjoys seeing sparkly fuax vampires getting run through the ringer, the last chapter of Lion in the Land's very entertaining Hellsing/Twilight crossover fic - "Survivor: Vampire Island" - has those hated Cullens trying to get regular jobs... and - as they do in everything else - failing miserably. So, if you're in the mood to laugh, you should definitely check it out. It's the last chapter of "Survivor: Vampire Island" and is independent, enough of the ones proceeding it, that it can be read as a self contained story. You can find it on Lion in the Land's FF author's page, or right in the favorite stories' section of mine. ;)

**To Christine:** Glad I could crack you up by throwing Mr. Sparkles into the mix. :) And I hope the 'showdown' between Alucard and Seras lived up to your expectations. ;) Thanks for the review, and I hope you continue to enjoy.

P.S. Oh, yeah, and that other, incomplete review did show up. But I figured you'd just accidentally hit submit before you were ready. No big deal. It's happened to me a couple times before... and hey, it still increase my review count, right. ;p

**To Larisa:** Glad to hear you're still enjoying this, and that you admire Integra's spirit. :) I hope you like her as much in the next chapter (which she should have another good sized role in). ;) I also hope that the first _real_ meeting (yes, they technically met in the cathedral but there wasn't time for too much interaction there) between Alucard and Seras lived up to your expectations. Still haven't found a place to slip Walter's name in yet. :p But, I'm hoping I can fit it in during Seras's next scene. Well, thanks for the review, and I hope you continue to enjoy. ;)

**To Shadow Blackheart: **Thanks. :) I'm glad you enjoy the way I write and got a kick out of Integra last chapter. Hope you had as much fun with Seras and Alucard in this one. ;) Oh, in regards to Aro, if that's another Character from Twilight, I'm afraid I don't know who he is. My knowledge of those books is rather limited, having had no desire to read them after reading some excerpts and reviews a long time ago. But from what I do know of Edward, he seems to fit Haman's back story rather well, well enough for this extreme AU anyway. Well, thanks again, and I hope you continue to enjoy. ;)

P.S. While Seras didn't really attack Alucard... she did slap him... once. Close enough? ;p Hehe.


	7. Thou Shalt Not Bow Down

**Thou Shalt Not Bow Down To Them, For I, The Lord, Am A Jealous God**

**AN:** Yeah, I'm afraid I've got another scene here that ran longer than anticipated. So we're going to have to wait until next time to see Edward begin his evil plotting. ;p But I did manage to fit in a tiny Seras scene at the very end. Well, hope you guys and gals enjoy.

* * *

The slight concern that Integra had felt, the day before, had grown into full fledged fear when she'd returned home, after her shift, to find that her daughter was still unaccounted for. And, as she stayed up and the hours ticked by, that fear had continued to fester and grow into something even stronger. Her child was out there... somewhere, lost, hurt, possibly... she didn't even want to consider the possibilities.

Finally, at four in the morning, Integra had given up on the waiting and decided to pursue a more productive course of action. She'd find her daughter; she'd search the whole city if she had to. And, by eleven, the determined woman's search had led her to the palace.

The first place Integra had gone was Seras's precinct, where the mother had been informed of the bloody scene the guards had found at the old cathedral, once Seras's and Jack's long awaited backup had finally arrived. Integra's heart had sunk like a stone as she heard the news, but then it rose with new hope as she keyed in on the fact that Seras's remains had not been found in the cathedral.

And so Integra had set off to interrogate the other town guards. One had mentioned to her, that after responding to a previous request for backup, he'd overheard her daughter make an off handed comment about how some vulgar, metal-mouthed royal recruiter had groped her and she wished she'd have thought to kick him in the groin before he'd left.

It wasn't much of a lead, but it was the only one Integra had. So she followed it, and found herself once more in the King's courtyard as the sun was just reaching its apex. She knew the gate keeper currently overseeing the flow of hopeful palace petitioners, and he let her pass without comment.

It was not uncommon for a gate keeper to arrive a little early for their shift and spend some time lounging in the palace garden before reporting in. Her co-worker most likely assumed that was what she was there for. It was actually her day off, but she often got 'stuck' with the morning shift or afternoon shift, and the current gate keeper probably hadn't paid attention to any duty postings other than his own. So Integra was able to enter the palace without incident.

Once inside, however, she assumed a more stealthy approach. Her life wasn't in danger so long as she steered clear of the throne room and other areas specifically reserved for the King and those he had business with. But without any excuses for being in the palace, Integra knew she was likely to be 'escorted' out if any of the guards found her. She'd probably wind up with a black mark on her record too, but at the moment she didn't really care about that.

Her daughter was missing, and someone in the palace might know where the girl was. That was all that mattered. Even still, she couldn't very well search for that someone if she was kicked out, so Integra crept silently through the halls as she sought a heavily pierced royal recruiter with a dirty mouth. What she found instead was trouble.

A giggling palace maid and an incorrigible ladies-man of a cook - that Integra remembered from her time as a palace server - snuck into a closet for a little 'afternoon delight'. Integra rolled her eyes at the player's obviously empty confessions of love, but didn't interfere. She was not here to save foolish, young maids from lecherous cooks and broom closets. She was here for her daughter. So the mother stayed hidden behind an oversized tapestry until the two had disappeared into the dark and closed the door behind them. Then she continued through the palace.

A short time later though, Integra did overhear something that peaked her interest... at least temporarily. The royal baker and a young eunuch from the women's section of the palace where having a most interesting conversation.

"It's too dangerous. If the King ever found out..."

"The King will never know, he's got dozens... maybe even hundreds of new 'brides' by now, right? Well, we only need one."

"How can you say that? You know they're linked... that's the whole basis for this plan of yours."

"Linked? Yes. But how many connections do you think the King can keep track of? There's no way he can sense every bride's location all the time. And like I said, we only need one."

"And if he comes looking for that one?"

"So we pick one that's out of favor. Come on, think of the profit. Do you know how much money we can make by selling one of them to the Reds? Or the Egyptians? ... Or even the Sparklies? Think how much any nation - even a current ally - would pay to be able to track Vlad's movements, to know when he was marshaling his forces... and when he was vulnerable. Think of the money!"

"Will you keep it down, Jouphrie? ... Look, the link is subconscious; we don't even know that it can be used like that."

"Sure we do. That man... Oh, what's his name? Hunted the King over a century ago? Abe-something. He used one of Dracula's brides to track him all the way back to Romania. It worked then, and it'd work now."

"Didn't work so well for him, as I recall."

"Bah, so what? We're not going to be the ones going after the King. We're going to be the ones getting rich by selling off something someone else can use to go after him. Let them chase each other around and poster and plot. We'll be all nice and warm in our beds... surrounded by piles and piles of gold."

"Unless the King finds out. Then our corpses will decorate the courtyard."

"Will you stop worrying so much? The King isn't going to find out... and we only need one... You pick out the _right_ one and get into the King's garden tomorrow night, and I'll be there, waiting with a gag and some silver chains. We'll be rich, Franko, _rich_..."

Integra had heard enough and silently crept back from the small alcove the two were plotting in. This was valuable information. The last time she'd overheard a plot and reported it, it had gotten her promoted out of her kitchen duties. If she failed to loosen the royal recruiter's tongue on her own, maybe she could leverage this information to get the King himself to step into the matter. It would be tricky and would require a very tactful approach; but, as he told her last time, he honored his debts. And this information certainly seemed to be the kind that could put him in her debt once more. So, Integra filed it away for later use and then continued on through the palace.

She continued on through the winding, corridors of power, unobserved and unheeded for another half hour or so before meeting up with someone she knew... and wasn't very happy to see again. As Integra rounded a corner she caught sight of the Grand Vizier. He was standing with his back to her, but she recognized him instantly by the ridiculous way he sparkled from the light cast by a nearby window.

Integra turned and hoped to escape before the insistent, entitled, undead sparkler became aware of her presence, but it was already too late. A couple of sniffs told Edward exactly who was behind him and he grinned coyly as he turned upon her. "My, my, if it isn't the little gate keeper. And so far into the palace too? Tell me, what might you be up to?"

Integra turned to face her adversary but said nothing.

"So stoic," he mocked. "And such a stickler for the rules. Ah, but we are not at the gate now. In here, _you_ answer _my_ questions."

"I'm... looking for someone," Integra replied guardedly.

"Oh? Well, perhaps I could help you. I'm well known and very influential after all, seems like everyone in the palace wants to be the Grand Vizier's bosom buddy," Edward boasted.

Integra wasn't crazy about the idea of asking help from someone she considered an obnoxious prick. She was sure that if he did indeed help her, even in the slightest, it would be a favor he'd never let her forget. But she wasn't about to turn down an offer of aid from one of the few people who was actually in a position to help her. Her daughter was more important than the wound to her pride after all.

"He's a royal recruiter. A vampire presumably, heavily pierced, and he's got a very vulgar mouth."

"Ah yes, I know who you're talking about. Can't imagine what any 'good', 'god-fearing' woman would want with an uncultured swine like that, but then I suppose it's not my place to judge other people's perversions," the Grand Vizier commented in a superior sort of tone. "I'm not doing anything at the moment, and I'd be happy to take you to him, if you desire."

"I... Thank you," Integra replied, a twinge of genuine gratitude in her voice. Perhaps the entitled prick wasn't quite the bastard she'd taken him for.

Edward smiled. "Oh, it's no trouble," The Grand Vizier started off down the hallway, but abruptly stopped after only a few paces. "Oh, one little thing before we go, though," he said as he turned back towards Integra. "It's a little thing... almost forgot all about it. But it is customary for people to kneel when entering the presence of the Grand Vizier."

Suddenly the other shoe had fallen, and Integra knew what the price would be for the 'Grand Vizier's' help. "I-I'm sorry," she replied, genuinely regretful, not because she felt like she should kneel before the man, but because she knew that in refusing to she was sacrificing his assistance. "I can't."

"Oh?" Edward inquired as he slowly began to stalk up to the woman who was even now refusing to pay him the homage he considered his due. "And why not? There is no order of the King preventing it this time."

"No," Integra consented, "No order of the King, but a commandment of my God. We are to bow down before none-other than He."

These words seemed to infuriate the Grand Vizier. "You are a conquered people, weak, scattered! You're God has abandoned you; you are ours now... And you _will_ learn your place!" Suddenly Edward's arm lashed out. His hand wrapped around Integra's neck; and, with no discernable effort, he lifted her from the ground by her throat. "You will kneel before me," the creature growled.

Integra couldn't breathe. She felt the creature clamping down harder, and knew that if he kept going he'd snap her neck in two. Her vision began to fade as the world started to slip into darkness. Still she remained stubbornly defiant. "No," she rasped as her consciousness faded.

The creature holding her sneered, but before he could respond further a palace guard - presumably alerted by the commotion - came running into the hallway. "What's going on here?" the guard demanded, and Edward jerked his hand away from Integra's throat, dropping the woman like a sack of potatoes, as he turned to face the guard.

"Grad Vizier Edward," the guard greeted then stopped and knelt for a second.

Edward grinned and turned back towards Integra. "I found this woman scurrying around the palace like a rat. Doubtless she's a spy sent by one of the king's enemies."

The guard stood and stared at the Grand Vizier's prisoner. "Spy?" he briefly repeated. "No, that's Integra. She's one of the gate keepers in the King's courtyard." The young vampire's brow furled. "What are you doing this far into the palace?" he asked in a puzzled tone.

"I..." Integra rasped, her voice strained from the choking. "I have information for the King," she replied, playing her ace in the hole.

"For the King?" both the guard and Grand Vizier replied with surprise.

"The King is very busy," Edward snapped. "Too busy, I'm sure, for any information of yours."

"This is urgent!" Integra insisted.

"I believe her," the guard cut in. "Her information has proven valuable in the past," he informed. "When I first came here, information she gave to one of my superiors led to the arrest of several servants plotting against the King. What information do you have?"

Integra paused. She needed to speak to the King, and she needed to do so before the Grand Vizier could get a hold of that royal recruiter and do anything to interfere with the only lead she had. "It's very important; I'll only tell the King himself."

The guard frowned. "I'm afraid the King is not within the palace now, and he's not expected back until sometime tonight."

"I'll wait," Integra replied.

But the guard shook his head. "I'm afraid not. If the news is as urgent as you claim, we cannot wait."

"Bu-"

"Don't worry, a record will be made; the King will know that you were the one who came forward with whatever information you have... But we do need it now."

Integra sighed. That was it; there was no way out now. Withholding the information at this point wouldn't help her get her daughter back. It would only lead to her own execution. "Jouphrie, the royal baker, and some palace eunuch named Franko are planning to kidnap one of the King's brides and use her in some plot against him."

Once again the guard's brow furled, and this time even the Grand Vizier's followed suite. "How did you come upon this information? What sources do you have?"

"I overheard them talking myself. They're planning to surprise one of the brides in the garden tomorrow night, nab her, and auction her off to the King's enemies."

The guard nodded. Yes, this is definitely urgent news. I'll inform my superior, but I can already guess what he'll do."

"Which is?" Edward asked a little impatiently.

"Oh, he'll keep things real quiet till tomorrow night, set a trap and catch the two of them in the act. Don't worry, Ms., you'll get full credit for uncovering the plot." The guard grinned happily. "And _we'll_ get credit for catching the perpetrators." For a moment the young vampire's expression grew distant, as if he were already imagining his reward, but once that moment passed he snapped instantly back to the here and now. "Thank you, Ms., but I'm afraid I'm going to have to escort you from the palace now. You really don't have authorization to be this far in."

"Of course," Integra replied as she stifled another sigh. This just wasn't her day.

* * *

Seras stared down at the thick, red liquid in a peculiar mixture of desire and disgust. It sat, steaming, in a soup bowl, and Seras's enhanced senses detected the faint odor of pepper and parsley. A couple of raw tomatoes bobbed up and down, and, despite her situation, Seras smiled at the considerate gesture. After she'd refused her portion the night before, the head eunuch, charged with overseeing the women's section of the palace, had decided to have the blood boiled and some spices and other ingredients added in. Obviously the kind, old man - Walter, as he'd told Seras when she asked his name - hoped that turning the blood into a soup might make it a little more appetizing to the reluctant, recently turned Draculina.

But his efforts were in vain. All the sprucing up in the world couldn't change the fact that it was blood, not soup, that awaited her in that bowl. And she found that knowledge revolting... even as the scent of the warm, red liquid made her body quiver with craving. Her flesh knew what it needed, and it begged her to let it indulge.

Seras's arm moved downwards, almost of its own volition, and grasped the spoon beside the bowl. Her body plunged the instrument into the tiny sea of red and then began to bring it back up. Her hand moved towards her mouth, and she felt her recently acquired fangs elongate in anticipation. Her mouth watered. But at the last second she turned away, and the spoon fell back to the seas from which it came.

It wasn't worth it. That blood was not hers. It belonged to someone else, someone else's blood, someone else's life. "For _it is _the life of all flesh; the blood of it _is_ for the life thereof: therefore I said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall eat the blood of no manner of flesh: for the life of all flesh _is_ the blood thereof." Seras found herself reciting the words aloud.

How could she take the life of another to sustain her own? She'd already lived past her appointed time. She wasn't human anymore, didn't have any life in herself, just a twisted mockery of what she'd been. She was a ghost, not even free to come and go as she pleased, sentenced instead to haunt the palace nights and prey upon the sacrifices of the innocent. She was a parasite, a blood sucking leech that took, and took, and could give nothing back.

Seras lifted the tray and set it outside her bedroom door. Let the others take it if they so desired. But for her... she would not be forced into the life of a user, of a monster. She'd always desired to help others, to protect the innocent. If her new state forbid that, then at least she would not take away from those she'd previously sought to protect. She could not bring herself to drain a portion - however small - of their life to preserve the empty memory that remained of her own.

* * *

Well, hope you enjoyed the new chapter. Sorry again about not being able to cover as much as I wanted to - seems to be becoming a recurring theme ;p - but at least this chapter was full length, actually slightly longer than full length. So, hopefully that helps make up for last week's short than normal chapter. Well, with a little luck, next week should cover the formation of Edward's evil plot as well as another scene between Seras and the King. Hint: He's not too pleased about her apperant desire to starve herself into oblivion. ;p

Have a good day, and God bless.

Metropolis Kid.

**To Larisa:** Thanks for the reviews! :D Both this one and the one you left me Seras's New Year's Resolution. I'm glad you had fun with the last chapter and that it was written in such a way that you laughed, and yet still felt for both Alucard and Seras. :) Also glad to hear you got a kick out of Seras's spirit... and her slapping of the King. ;) I hope you enjoyed Integra's spirit in this chapter as well... and have as much fun with the next encounter between Alucard and Seras. ;) Thanks again for the review. :) Glad to hear you had fun with Seras's New Year's Resolution as well... and could actually picture it happening. :D

**To Shadow Blackheart:** Glad to know that you found the last chapter satisfying and liked Seras's reaction to the situation... including where she slapped Alucard. ;) Glad to hear that both characters seem interesting in this story. :) Thanks for the review, and I hope you continue to enjoy. :)

PS. Oh, also glad to hear you're okay with me casting a couple of the Twilight characters as the villains and that overall you prefer Hellsing's portrayal of vampires. ;)

**To The Fallen One:** Thanks for the review. :) Glad to hear you're enjoying the story and have found it "awesomesauce" so far. ;) I hope you continue to enjoy.

**To Christine:** Glad to hear you were okay with the effect the palace decorations and design and extra time to think had on Seras and still enjoyed the eventual exchange between her and Dracula - even if it wasn't quite what you were expecting. ;) Also glad to hear that you like my general protrayal of Seras in this story. I hope the refusal to drink blood at the end of this chapter lived up to expectations, though it was such a small scene that I'll understand if you thought it was a little lacking. ... But I do hope her reason for refusing it and what's going through her mind right now came through well and seem realistic enough. Also hope you enjoy the next scene between her and the King, when he confronts her about her dangerous 'fasting'. ;) Well, thanks for the review, and I hope you continue to enjoy. :)


	8. The Wicked Plot Against The Godly

**The Wicked Plot Against The Godly And Gnash Their Teeth At Them**

**AN:** I apologize if this chapter isn't up to the usual standards. I'm afraid I wasn't feeling my muse as much this week... but I didn't want to make you all wait another week for an update. So, I did the best I could. Well, hope you still enjoy.

* * *

The Grand Vizier was less than cheerful as he returned home, and his wife noticed her husband's burdened stance and troubled demeanor. "What's wrong, Eddy?" Rosalie asked while lying upon a velvet day bed. A crate of plump hamsters sat by her side, and the undead woman opened up the top and pulled out one of the squirming critters.

"Nothing," the Grand Vizier lied.

His wife sighed. "If you intended to keep it to yourself, you would've calmed down before coming home. You didn't, so obviously you want to talk. So, let's not waste each other's time with the stoic husband routine, huh? We've known each other too long for that." She stroked the soft fur of the creature in her hand, as if to sooth it and assure it that it would not end up like all the others.

The Grand Vizier let out a strange sound, half-way between a laugh and a huff. "You know me too well, Rose."

She shrugged. "Occupational hazard of being your wife for more than a century." Under her ministrations, the hamster had ceased its struggling and had even begun rubbing its fur against her stone-like skin.

"It's that gate keeper."

"Her again?" Rosalie's tone was carefully neutral, but she suddenly gripped the hamster in her hand more tightly. Polished, marble nails, raking through the soft fur and piercing the flesh under it. The small creature began squirming again. It let out a pitiful squeal as its warm blood seeped out to coat the woman's cold, dead fingers. "I don't see why she bothers you so much. You're the Grand Vizier, second in arguably the most powerful kingdom on the planet. It's just unseemly for you to let one little girl get so under your skin." The wife worked her fingers deeper into the small critter's back as she spoke.

"It's not just her. They're all the same. These Christian humans. Weak, insignificant little specks. Blood bags, who's only real purpose is to serve us... and yet they think they're better than us. We're stronger, faster, unaging. We have all the power, yet we must suffer them and their god." The man laughed.

"Their impotent god, who was incapable of preventing our conquest of their world. Yet they still think they're better than us. His children, promised a future at his side, while we're all 'condemned' to walk the face of this earth for eternity or else return to the dust from which we came. It's just insulting. We have all the power, yet they refuse to recognize it. They cling to their delusion of a better life awaiting them past the death that we have already conquered. They worship a fictitious construct of their, flawed, inferior reasoning, rather than bending knee to the true masters of the world."

"So kill them," Rosalie replied dismissively, as the creature in her hands stopped its struggling once more, never to begin again.

"It's not that simple," Edward informed, a slight hopeless edge to his tone. "The King would never allow it. He tolerates their madness, their insult and slander and extends them the same protection under his law as everyone else!"

"Well, why do you think he does that?" Rosalie asked as she licked her crimson fingers and tossed the bloody pulp of what remained of the hamster out the nearby window. Let the city's strays have the carcass; she only cared for the blood.

"Because he doesn't care!" Edward exploded. "He doesn't care. He doesn't care about his citizens' beliefs just so long as they're loyal. He craves conquest and doesn't concern himself at all with the culture of those he's conquered. As long as they're fulfilling their duties, he's content to let them insult our very existence with this inane belief of theirs."

"Then that, Dear Husband, is what you must attack if you are to get the King on your side."

Edward turned to his wife, an intrigued, questioning expression on his face.

"These Christians, they were once his greatest opponents, where they not... at least among the humans?" the Grand Vizier's wife continued. "If loyalty and fulfillment of duty is all that protects them from slaughter, then you simply need to remove that protection."

"How?"

"How?" Rosalie repeated as she rose and walked over to her husband. "You are the Grad Vizier; you have the King's ear. Use that to your advantage. Tell him that the Christians have only been playing nice for the past century. Convince him that they're not really loyal, that they've been plotting against him all along, waiting, biding their time until they could position themselves to overthrow him. If he believes that they're nothing but traitors, he'll let you dispose of them however you see fit."

"But they're not."

Rosalie giggled. "So what? They don't have to be guilty to be condemned. 'Mistakes' are made all the time." She smiled slyly at her husband.

And Edward returned the grin. Yes, it could be done. It would take time of course. He could not simply approach the King, tell him of a plot and expect the King to believe him. Dracula was no fool; he'd demand proof, even of his most trusted advisor. But 'proof' could be manufactured. Documents could be forged, conspirators cast, and prisoners 'leveraged' into just about any 'confession' he desired. Such a plan would take time, patience, and no small amount of effort. But it could be done, and once accomplished the end would justify whatever means demanded of him. For Edward Cullen would be rid of the one thorn in his side, and then all the lesser beings would bow down and worship him.

* * *

Seras was both surprised and more than a little apprehensive when she found herself summoned to the King's chamber once more. Had he changed his mind? Was he going to 'press his advantage' after all?

She told herself that that couldn't be it. She'd always heard - always believed - that, though a hard ruler, the King was fair. She knew that in the past he'd honored his word, even when it wasn't to his advantage to do so. Why would he change now? Out of all of the times that he'd refused to go back on his word, why would he break the pattern now... and simply for a 'roll in the sheets' with her? It wasn't like he was having trouble in that department. She'd seen the other 'brides'; she knew how many 'bed companions' he had to choose from. To think that he would go back on his word simply to have her... her rational mind told her that such a thought was ridiculous.

Yet, another part of her wondered. If he did try something, what would she do? How would she react? As she approached the door to his chamber she remembered the last time she'd been in it, remembered the feeling of his strong, experienced hands upon her virgin body, his whispered seductions in her ear, his tongue flicking across her neck. She remembered feeling her knees buckle as an unfamiliar but pleasurable warmth began to spread through her, and she remembered how it had taken all of her resolve not to give in to his temptation. If he plied his skill upon her again, would she be as strong this time?

She entered the chamber, walked down the long, inner hallway and cast eyes upon the large coffin in the middle of the grand bedroom. It was open, but empty. Then her eyes began to take in the rest of the room. The candles were lit this time, casting the wide expanse in a flickering mixture of light and shadows.

A voice called for her. "Come out to the balcony." And Seras followed it.

There was a small table set up there. Two plush looking wingback chairs sat across from each other on its sides and an almost impossibly white cloth was cast over it. The scene was topped with two more candles and a couple of wine glasses. The King reached for one and filled it with a chilled, red liquid that Seras's senses told her was most definitely not wine, then he motioned to the chair across from him. "Join me for a drink," he offered, the offer somehow sounding more like a demand.

Seras, deciding it was better to indulge her host for the time being, sat down across from the King. He reached for the other glass and took it before Seras had time to react. "My private stash. It's virginal," the King said as he began to fill her glass with the same liquid that filled his. "Young too... but not too young. You don't want them too young. The blood needs time to... 'ripen' after all," he informed with a disturbing grin as he sat the glass back down in front of Seras.

She held up her hand. "Thank you, but I'm not, uh, 'thirsty' at the moment."

"Oh? Pity. Even still, you must try a few sips at least. As I said, it's from my private stash, to refuse such an offer would be quite an insult." The King paused for a moment. Then his voice took on a more ominous tone as he began again. "And I'm not a man who suffers insults well."

Frightened by the thinly veiled threat, Seras raised the glass to her lips, and her newly red eyes glowed slightly as the scent filled her. Yet, she still couldn't quite bring herself to drink. Her arm began to tremble slightly as the two natures within her warred with each other, and eventually, the glass came back down, its contents still untouched.

"Something the matter?"

"I-I can't," she replied with a down cast face.

The King sighed. "Yes, I've been told as much."

Seras suddenly raised her eyes in surprise. "Told, by whom?"

"That's not important. What is important is that if you don't learn to overcome this refusal to feed, you will die."

_'THAT was important?'_ Seras wondered in astonishment. The man across from her had an entire kingdom to manage as well as a host of brides to 'warm his bed'. And what he considered important was whether or not she starved herself into oblivion?

"Why do you care?" She asked, the question seemingly angering her host.

"I care," he replied in an aggressive tone, "because I did not save your life simply so you could throw it away because of some foolish hang-up about drinking blood!"

Oh no, he'd saved it so that he could turn her into one of his palace playthings, Seras told herself... and then began to wonder why he still concerned himself with her after he'd been denied that payoff. She decided to drop that train of thought however when it began to lead to possibilities that seemed either too frightening or too foolish to contemplate. "You said you wouldn't interfere in my life," she reminded the King instead.

"True, but I never said anything about interfering in your attempt to induce death! Is that what you want, Guardswoman? Denied life as a human, do you really intend to kill yourself? Are you really that weak?" The King bolted up and stared down at the woman before him in an odd mixture of anger and... disappointment.

Suddenly she bolted upwards as well, doing her best to meet him eye to eye. She failed miserably of course, due to the height difference between them, but still, the attempt was made. "I am not weak," she replied defiantly. "I am Seras Victoria. I finished first in my class at the academy, and during my less than two years of service, I've helped to bust over four dozen drug dealers, eight murders, and seven rapists. My arrests have a ninety-eight percent conviction rating, and I'm the youngest woman to ever be assigned to a London Guard, serial killer taskforce!"

The King paused for a moment and stared at the women across from him, the disappointment having vanished from his features. "Then why," he began but was cut off before he could get any further.

"Because a life confined in this cage - however gilded - is not worth living if it means that I must become a parasite, draining the life blood of good, hard working people and giving nothing back in return!"

At first the King said nothing in reply. He looked upset at being interrupted, but as time began to pass that anger became secondary in his mind. "And if you were free?" he finally asked, surprising Seras.

"What?"

"If you were free to leave the palace, and only had to return when you required rest, then would you drink your blood?"

"I-I-" Seras stuttered in shock at the unexpected turn the conversation had taken.

"Think carefully, Guardswoman. For I expect those I deal with to honor their word, just as I honor mine. If I let you out to play, will you drink your blood like a good girl?"

Seras considered the offer. If she could leave the palace, if she could get back some semblance of a normal life... If she could see her mother again, and fulfill the promise she made to her partner as he died... If she could possibly even take back her old job as a town guard and protect the innocent of this city... Was not all of that worth taking what had been freely given, without any lasting harm done to the donor? "Yes, if you let me leave the palace, I'll drink the blood."

The King nodded. "Then consider yourself free to come and go as you please, only you must be accompanied by one of my trusted agents."

"A spy?" Seras asked.

"A protector," the King answered. "And you must return to the palace when you're in need of rest. You would be too vulnerable out there otherwise. Do you agree to these terms?"

Seras paused, then nodded.

"Good," the King replied, and then his lip began to curl upwards once more. "Then only one thing remains." He reach down and lifted his wine glass in an elaborate and somewhat overdone movement. "We must seal our deal... in blood."

Seras kept from rolling her eyes at the grandiose display as she too lifted her glass and then hesitantly drank with her King.

* * *

Well, hopefully, that wasn't too terrible of an update and my muse will be more cooperative next week. ;p Oh, speaking of which, next week we get to see Vampire Seras out and about town for the first time since her turning. Hope you all enjoy that... I think you will. ;)

Have a good day, and God bless.

Metropolis Kid.

**To Larisa:** Thanks for the review. :) I'm glad to hear you got a kick out of the last chapter and liked the firmness of Integra and Seras's beliefs. I hope you didn't mind the little turnaround of Seras's here, but even her earlier refusal to drink the blood was based more on the idea that she didn't want to be a parasite that only took without giving anything back. And if she can leave the palace, then she can find opportunities to give something back and take on a more symbiotic relationship. Well, anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter... and the new scene between Seras and the King. ;) Anyway, thanks again for the review, and I hope you continue to enjoy.

**To Shadow Blackheart:** Glad to hear you enjoyed the last chapter so much. :) Hope this one wasn't too much of a disappointment. ;p As for the blood soup, I think such a thing actually does exists - or something very similar. I remember a local, blood based soup being used to slowly coax a vampire back to health in one of Lion in the Land's fics, and I think she based it on an actual dish that she's heard of. I can't remember exactly what it was called, but it was in her "B.I.T.E." story if you're curious. I think one of her closing ANs mentioned the name, though I could be remembering that wrong. Anyway, glad o hear you're still enjoying and like the Bible verses I've been picking out. ;)


	9. The LORD Hath Comforted His People

**The LORD Hath Comforted His People, And Will Have Mercy Upon His Afflicted.**

**AN:** Okay, this chapter's going to be a little different, less plot building and slower pace. But it's needed to set up the next arc of the story.

* * *

Seras was encouraged, even joyful. She'd turned in a little earlier than usual the morning before so that she could make sure she was well rested and got the most out of her time away from the palace. And now the sun was starting to set, and as she descended the marble steps that joined the palace to the outside world she felt relief come over her. She paused at the last step and, though it was unnecessary from a biological standpoint, filled her lungs with the sweet air of freedom.

She caught the scent of flowers and fruits from the nearby palace garden mixed with the smell of someone baking in the city just beyond the wall. A couple of bright fireflies danced before her as they passed by. And the moon, just starting to rise above the horizon, held the rough outline of a lopsided grin, as if the sky itself was smiling down at her. In that one moment everything seemed perfect. She was released from her gilded cage and free to spread her wings once more, if only for a time.

Seras headed towards the outer gate but stopped when she reached the gatekeeper's desk. She looked, hoping to see her mother, to reunite with the woman who'd cared for her for almost all of her life and instilled in her nearly every belief she held dear. But, alas, it was not to be. Integra was not present at the desk. Instead an older, slightly pot-bellied man sat in her place. And Seras's hope was to be postponed... for the moment at least.

She began walking towards the outer gate once more, but was stopped yet again, this time by a large, powerfully built man who was leaning against the pillar opposite the gatekeeper's desk. "You Seras?" he asked her simply.

And Seras, stared at this strange man who apparently knew her name. He was tall though, unlike the King, not abnormally so. His eyes were dark blue, and he had a thick neck and face full of stubble. Behind his back a weird looking, highly customized assault rifle - one unlike any Seras had seen before - was secured by a leather strap stretching across his front and over one shoulder. His stance was relaxed, yet there was something about him that struck her as being almost savage. And he smelled... odd, not bad, but odd. Since her turning, Seras had discovered that there was a subtle difference between the air of humans and vampires, but to her enhanced senses this man smelled different than both of them.

"And you are?"

"Major Jayne Casey, seventh Lycan division, company commander... formally, now on _'special'_ assignment."

And Seras realized that this was the 'protector' the King had insisted on. Somehow she felt immediately offended by the idea of this guy following her around all night, an unwelcome shadow during her nights of freedom. Even still she resolved to take the high road and not vent her frustrations on another duty-bound individual who was only following an order from the King. It just wouldn't be right. Besides, who knew, maybe they could even become friends. And if they could, then his presence wouldn't seem like such an intrusion.

She smiled and politely extended her hand. "Seras Victoria, pleased to meet you," the undead guardswoman greeted.

Major Casey merely grunted in response.

"Something wrong?" Seras asked, the facade of her previously pleasant demeanor beginning to shift and betray the aggravation within.

"Let's just get this over with," the man replied, side-stepping the question.

"What's your problem?" Seras exclaimed in exasperation at the man who seemed determined to contaminate her good mood with his sour one.

"No problem," the man replied, though his next statement seemed to contradict that assertion. "I'm just not crazy about being pulled away from my unit to babysit one of the King's bimbos. I signed up to serve King and country, not act as guardian for some pampered palace princess whose decided she wants a night on the town."

Seras's eyes suddenly narrowed at her self-proclaimed 'guardian' as she came to the profound realization that the two of them were very unlikely to become friends. But she wasn't about to let one sour grape spoil her new found freedom. She wouldn't give him that satisfaction. If he wanted to judge her - and wrongfully judge her at that - instead of getting to know her, then that was his loss. And she wasn't about to dignify his accusations with a defense of her character. He wasn't worth it. So, without another comment she turned and began to make her way once more towards the outer gate, her new, rude and unwanted shadow falling in step behind her.

* * *

Seras desperately wanted to see her mother again, to let Integra know that she was safe and well... even if she was a little dubious about how the steadfast, godly woman was going to react to the knowledge that her daughter was now a member of the 'godless masses of undead'. But that reunion would have to wait, at least for a little bit. Her mother had raised her to always place duty before pleasure, and Seras was not about to turn her back on that teaching now. After all, the true measure of personal beliefs was how well one kept to them when doing so was difficult, not easy. Seras had a promise to keep, and she would honor her mother and her teachings by fulfilling that duty before returning home.

So, rather than her own home, Seras's first stop was the home of her late partner. She rang the bell and waited patiently outside until Jack's widow came to open up the door. "S-Seras?" the older woman stuttered in shock as she stared at the red-eyed girl standing before her the way one might stare at a ghost or apparition.

"Good evening, Caroline. I... I'm sorry about Jack," Seras greeted and then mentally chided herself for not thinking up a more diplomatic greeting.

Caroline suddenly drew her hand back and slapped Seras hard across the face. "You killed him!" the woman spat out angrily.

"I..." Seras began searching for something to say, but she could think of no words to make everything better, to ease the other woman's grief. "I'm sorry," she repeated dumbly, not knowing what else to say.

The other woman swallowed hard, tears in her eyes. "I know. They ran his blood the same day they did the ballistics test. I know about the contamination. You... had no choice."

"No... but I'm still sorry."

"I know."

"His last thoughts were of you and the kids. He wanted me to tell you that he loved you all very much... and that he'd see you again in the Resurrection."

"I..." Caroline began then paused. "They're having the funeral next Sunday at three. He would've liked you to come... we both would."

"Then I'll be there."

The other woman nodded.

"How are the kids taking it?"

"About how you'd expect. Junior's been acting out in class. Jill's stopped talking, and Bill... Well Bill's too young to understand. He just keeps asking me when his daddy's coming home."

Seras hung her head and a moment of silence fell between the two. "If... if there's anything I can do..."

"No... we'll get through this. It's just going to take time. But... But thank you, not just for the offer or for relaying Jack's message. Thank you for spar- ... Just thank you."

"I..." Seras began then hesitated as the words she wanted to say refused to form. "He was a good man."

"Yes, yes he was."

* * *

Seras's next stop was her mother's apartment, her home for... well, for as long as she could remember. This time she didn't bother ringing the door bell. She knew where Integra kept the key and used it to let herself, and her shadow, in. The latter waited in the tiny entranceway, leaning up against a wall as the former continued on in search of her mother.

Seras found her kneeling in front of the cross that hung in the center room, which served as the small home's living/dining room. Integra's Bible was spread out on a chair in front of her, and the woman's head was bent in obvious prayer, though the words she spoke were mumbled and too quiet for Seras - even with her enhanced hearing - to be able to pick them out.

"Mom?" she spoke, and suddenly the praying woman ceased her mumbling and raised her head.

Integra turned to her daughter. "Seras!" she exclaimed and rushed to the girl, wrapping her arms around her and hugging her tightly. Seras, surprised by her usually reserved mother's action, just stood silent for a moment. Then Integra pulled back slightly - though her arms remained locked behind Seras's back - to stare at her daughter's face. . "I was beginning to think I'd never see you again; welcome home, Child," the mother spoke, tears of joy in her eyes, and then hugged her daughter tightly once more.

Once again Seras was surprised, both by the fact that her mother seemed indifferent to her new iris color and the fact that Integra was crying. In nineteen years, Seras could never once remember seeing her mother cry... about anything. But she was doing so now and that, perhaps, seemed even odder than the fact that Integra apparently didn't care that her daughter had returned to her as a vampire.

Then Seras remembered a quote from the parable of the prodigal son. "For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost and is found." And for the first time she fully understood the father's pure acceptance and joy at the return of his lost child.

Integra didn't care what Seras may have done while she was away or why she returned in the condition she did. Nor did she care about maintaining her appearance or dignity in that moment. The mother was simply overjoyed that the child she thought lost had returned to her.

And with this realization tears began to form in Seras's eyes as well, and the two women wept for joy as they embraced each other.

Integra stayed up all through the night, despite Seras's protests that her mother should get some sleep before her next shift started. But Integra insisted that she could call up and take a personal day if she needed to, and the two women were both anxious to talk, catch up, and exchanged histories of what had happened to them over the course of the last three, very bizarre days.

* * *

The next evening, Seras was once again up at the crack of twilight and heading out for the palace's outer gate. And once again Major Casey met up with her along the way. This time however, no greetings were exchanged between the two, as the latter simply resumed following his charge with nothing more than an odd sounding grunt. Seras didn't speak to her shadow either, having fully resolved that she was in the right and that if there was to be any attempt to bury the hatchet between them, the man who'd so rudely refused her previous olive branch would need to be the one to make the first move.

This time Integra's apartment was Seras's first stop and mother and daughter once again enjoyed each other's company for several hours. However, when Integra began yawning again, Seras insisted that her mother get some sleep before her body became accustomed to a nocturnal life cycle. And eventually Integra caved to her daughter's suggestion, and, undergoing a stark role reversal, Seras tucked her mother in for the night.

Once Integra was sleeping soundly, her daughter decided to check in at her old job. After all, as far as she could figure, she was technically still a member of the town guard. Besides, she was longing for something constructive to do with her new found freedom, and if she still held her previous title... well, in the city of London, a guardswoman's work was never done.

Seras found that entering the barracks proved no real challenge, though her captain did ask her about the new eye color. And he seemed both amused and somewhat proud to discover what she'd become. "Local girl makes good, eh?" he commented with a wry grin. "Nice to know you haven't completely forgotten about us little people," he teased.

"Oh stop it," Seras laughed. "You're terrible, and I'm still the same person."

"Aye? In that case, you got any interest in donning a Guard's uniform again?" Suddenly the Captain's tone took on a note of seriousness and an edge of bitter cynicism. "We could certainly use a little supernatural muscle on _our_ side for once."

"Why, what's wrong?"

"Same thing that was wrong. We've got humans disappearing from the poorer sectors all over London. Seems there's still a rogue vamp out there... somewhere."

"What? But that's impossible!" Seras replied, confused by the information. Why wouldn't her mother have told her if humans were still disappearing? And how could humans still be disappearing anyway? She knew that the rogue vampire was dead. She'd been there when it happened. "We already got the bugger."

"Oh, I don't doubt that, not after what we found in that cathedral. But the disappearances haven't stopped. Either the one you and Jack found in that cathedral had a fledgling, or..." the captain paused, as if not wanting to lend credence to what he feared by voicing it aloud.

"Or?" Seras prompted.

"Or he was himself fledgling to an even more powerful rogue vampire."

"A scary thought."

"Quite."

"Well, you can count on me. If there's another rogue out there, I'll find her... and end her," Seras proclaimed, her eyes glowing slightly at the thought.

The captain seemed a little taken back by the enthusiasm the girl was showing. But he recovered quickly. "Under normal circumstances, I'd remind you that this perp has the right to a trial, same as any other. But - considering the number of people we've already lost to these rogues, including t- ... er, one of our own - I think Justice would better served by just wishing you good luck and warning you to be careful if you do find her. If she is more powerful than the last one..."

"Yeah, don't worry. I've already died once while hunting a rogue, and I've got no desire to repeat the process," Seras dryly quipped.

* * *

Well, hope you all enjoyed and didn't mind the slower pace of this chapter. The next one should be a bit more exciting as we get to see Seras hunting this second rogue vampire. Just out of curiosity, any guess who this one's going to be? ^_~ Hehe, till next time.

Have a good day, and God bless.

Metropolis Kid.

**To Derpies:** Well, not really plagiarism if you give credit to your sources and don't claim to own the rights to the idea. (Both of which I did.) Otherwise, I think everyone on the site would b guilty of plagiarism. ;p Anyway, hope you're enjoying this 'borrowed' story. ;)

**To Larisa:** Glad to hear you enjoyed the last chapter and "loved" both scenes! :D Especially given my own apprehension about them. ;) Also, glad to hear that you found Seras's eventual decision to drink the blood believable. Oh, speaking of the parallel you drew between that and Holy Communion, I actually read a rather well done one-shot between Alucard and Seras where the former drew that very same conclusion! It's called "For His Own Purposes" and can be found on the second page of my Community - "One-Shot Wonders" in case you're interested. ;) Well, anyway, thanks for the review, and I hope you had as much fun with this chapter as you have the previous ones. :)


	10. The Words of the Wicked

**The Words of the Wicked Are to Lie In Wait for Blood; But the Mouth of the Upright Shall Deliver.**

* * *

Seras stepped out of the women's locker room in the barracks, feeling more herself than she had in days. She'd abandoned the finery that she'd been presented with while in the palace and was once more clothed in the uniform of a town guard. And, clothed in the light armor and surrounded by the familiar setting, the young woman felt once more at home in her own skin. This was what she'd worked towards, what she was meant to do, to defend the helpless, to protect those incapable of protecting themselves. She was on her intended path once more, and the corner of her lip curled in appreciation for the simplicity of freedom mixed with a duty of her own choosing.

"You got some kind of a death wish?" a gruff voice reproachfully greeted Seras nearly the very second she exited the locker room, and the girl found herself a little startled to hear it. Other than their first conversation, her traveling companion hadn't said a single word to her, only - occasionally - letting out oddly sounding grunts.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Seras replied sarcastically. "Not quite what you were expecting when sentenced to 'babysit one of the King's bimbos'? Is my lack of clubbing messing with your preconceptions about us 'pampered palace princesses'?"

Seras's words were laced with a mixture of venom and triumph, and it was obvious that she was taking pleasure in throwing Major Jayne Casey's hasty judgments back in his face. She prepared herself for another salvo, but to her surprise her undesired guardian did not escalate matters any further this time. Instead his tone seemed to lose some small measure of its gruffness as he responded, "The King's not going to like this, you know?"

"The King can stuff it," Seras replied sharply, and with far more bravery than she likely could've managed if said king was actually present in the room. "He said I had may freedom, said he wouldn't interfere, and told me that I was free to do as I please, so long as I turn to the palace to rest."

Casey, grunted again, and Seras, assuming that was the end of their little conversation began heading towards the armory. Her 'shadow' fell in step beside her, but to her surprise it seemed he was feeling unusually chatty at the moment. "He also sent me to make sure you were safe."

"Well, in that case, I'll let you come along... just so long as you don't interfere with my investigation." Seras's steps suddenly stopped as her enhanced sense detected a weapon being brought to bear on her. She turned to find that her 'protector' had unslung the very large, somewhat futuristic looking assault rifle from off his back.

"I-" Seras began and paused as she stared at the barrel of the gun for a split second. Then she summoned up her courage once again. "I took an oath to protect and serve the citizens of this area. Now some evil force is hunting them down and murdering them, and I'm not about to abandon them when they need me most. I'm not going to turn my back on my oath, and if you plan to stop me, you're going to have to kill me."

"Not really," Casey replied with a slight grin. "I could always just blow off your legs and drag you back to the palace. They would regenerate... eventually. Even still, I'd probably get an earful about it from the King... or worse."

The man paused for a second as if he were considering something. Then his grin widened more and the barrel of his gun turned away from Seras's body. His eyes moved away from her too, to roam over the form of the weapon in his hand. "A real beauty, ain't she? Callahan full-bore autolock, customized hair-trigger, double-cartridge thorough gauge, heavy armor-piercing rounds. Three years ago a Terminus Death squad came for me, five men, mercenaries, each sworn to give his life in pursuit of the target if need be. The biggest and baddest of them carried this." Jayne caressed the barrel in almost loving way as he continued, "I call her Vera."

Seras just stared at the man, one eyebrow arched up and her head slightly side-ways. "Um... do the two of you want to be alone?"

Casey's eyes narrowed at the girl. "Don't get cute," he replied sharply, then extended the weapon towards her.

Again Seras looked surprised and a little unsure. "You're... giving this to me?"

"What? Of course not! It's the best gun I've ever had, and it's got immense sentimental value. But I've seen the weapons these town guards carry. Nothing in that armory would be much good against anything but a whelp... or maybe a sparkly. And if you're going to hunt vampires, you need to use the right tool for the job."

"I... thank you," Seras replied as she took the offered weapon.

Casey grunted once more. "Just remember, I expect it back in the same condition. You break it, and I'll break you... even if you and the King are rutting."

Seras's face scrunched up momentarily, and she looked more than a little disgusted by the unexpected vulgarity. She wasn't too happy to discover that the man was _still_ making uninformed judgments about her either. But she just sighed and resolved to continue on with her mission. Her love life - or lack thereof - wasn't a subject open for discussion... especially with someone who referred to the act of lovemaking as 'rutting'.

* * *

The night was drawing to its close as Seras and Casey finally track down the rogue vampire. It hadn't been easy. This one was a lot more cautious than the last, but between the reports, Seras's newfound sixth sense, and her shadow's rather remarkable nose, they finally managed to corner her in an old warehouse.

"Be careful," Casey warned as the two approached. "Vampires are slippery... no offense."

"None taken," Seras replied honestly, for once actually not having been offended by one of the man's inconsiderate comments. Actually, since the two of them had started talking, she was beginning to warm up to her on longer _completely_ unwanted 'protector'. Sure, he was a judgmental, crass son of a bitch - perhaps even literally, given his own in-human status and what little Seras knew of ware-creatures. But he was also capable enough, and, like her and her mother, possessed a rather strong sense of duty.

Seras began to head towards the warehouse, but stopped as she heard a strange, and very disturbing sound behind her. It was unlike anything she'd ever heard before, but seemed closets to the sound of tearing flesh mixed with cracking bones. She turned towards it to find the man she'd been traveling with slowly fading beneath a monstrous form, as his body twisted, contorted, and transformed.

The process took several seconds to complete and looked more than a little painful. In fact the sight and sounds caused Seras to grimace more than once just from watching it. But once it was completed her shadow seemed none the worse for the wear.

He was even taller now, and broader in the chest. His arms looked incredibly muscular and well defined, even through the grey, hairy coating that now covered his body. His tee-shirt was lying on the ground beside him, intact and obviously discarded before he began his transformation, while his previously baggy pants were still secured around his legs, though now full and bulging. And his mouth... his mouth was angular, protruding and crammed with so many razor sharp teeth that it reminded Seras more of a shark's mouth than a wolf's. Only the eyes reminded the same, though the voice was not as greatly altered as the rest.

"What are you staring at?" the creature asked in an even gruffer than usual voice, though the tone was somewhat similar and still identifiable.

"I... Didn't know you could... change. Without the full moon, I mean."

"Don't believe everything you hear. Only pups, those new to the transformation and trying to deny what they are, have their forms controlled by the cycles of the moon. The full moon still stirs us, and makes us a little more... instinctive. But those who don't deny their other side can learn to control it... regardless of what state the moon may be in. Now, are we going to do this, or you going to keep staring at me as if I've sprouted a second head?"

"Can you sprout a second head?" Seras asked.

The bestial major just rolled his eyes. "What did I say about getting cute?"

"Sorry."

* * *

The inside of the warehouse was dark and quite spooky, due as much to the partially assembled mannequins and other forgotten goods that littered the interior as the knowledge that somewhere in this place lurked a rogue vampire, just waiting for the taste of blood. Seras was suddenly very grateful for the vampiric senses that allowed her to navigate the darkness as easily as if it were day. Then she was slightly less grateful as she realized that their adversary probably possessed the same ability.

"Whoever you are, come out. You're under arrest, surrender peacefully and you won't get hurt."

To Seras's surprise a figure actually did walk out into the open at her beckoning. "You mean, not until the King decided to sink his fangs into my neck, devour my flesh and pick his teeth with my bones. That is the usual punishment for a rogue vampire, is it not, Guardswoman?" the figure asked as she stood out in the open, arcane looking tattoos covering nearly every visible inch of her body and a great scythe staff stretched out behind her.

"Only if you're found guilty of the crimes you're accused of," Seras answered as she trained Vera on the perp.

"Just shoot her," Jayne prompted, but Seras's own code wouldn't permit her to attack first. Town Guards were a reactive force, not a proactive one. And Seras wasn't about to shoot at anyone who might, possibly be surrendering.

"Oh, then I guess there's no hope for little, old, Zorin Blitz," the very butch looking rogue replied. "I'm guilty of far worse things than you could possibly know. So, I guess that means the only way I'm going to get out of this alive, is for you and your companion to die."

Seras finally pulled her trigger, and realized too late that she'd been incredibly foolish not to have fired off a few rounds earlier and gotten a feel for the new gun. The recoil was significantly more than Seras was use to, and her shot went wide as a result. She cursed under her breath as she braced herself better and prepared for the next shot. But her opponent had already closed the distance between them and was swinging her scythe at Seras's throat.

Seras brought up Vera, positioning the body of the weapon in-between her own body and the enemy's strike. The move may have saved Seras's life, but it also prevented her from using the gun for its intended purpose, as both weapons remained locked against each other. The two vampires struggled in a contest of strength, each pushing against the other. But the two were equally matched, and neither one was able to gain any ground.

Fortunately for Seras, however, she was not alone in her endeavor, and Casey made that clear as he grabbed hold of their enemy's staff and flung her across the warehouse. "I told you to shoot her," he growled as Zorin slammed into a grouping of wooden crates, spilling the plush contents within unto the warehouse floor.

"I'm a guardswoman; I can't just shoot someone who maybe surrendering," Seras replied sharply as she took aim once more at the rogue.

"Indeed, well can you shoot her now?"

"Absolutely."

"Oh, I'm afraid you're about to have far greater things to worry about than little old me," Zorin replied as the tattoos covering her body began to swirl and change.

Seras fired, but the rogue leapt up into the rafters at the same time. And Seras's shot succeeded only in shredding the stuffing of a few of the plushy animals still contained in the crates Zorin had been flung into.

"Bugger, missed her again," Seras grumbled as Casey leapt up into the rafters as well.

Casey lunged at the rogue, but she jumped back. She slashed at him with her scythe, but he dodged. "Tisk, tisk, leaving your girlfriend to 'dance' with another woman, and when she's in such a bad way too, what will people say?"

"You don't honestly expect me to fall for such an obvious deception, do you? You're the only danger here. My partner's fine, just so long as I keep my eyes on..." Casey's response died in his throat as he heard a loud 'eep' from below and turned back towards Seras. "What the," he began as he saw that somehow the stuffed animals had apparently grown and morphed into hideous, nightmarish mockeries of their previous cute and cuddly forms - complete with drooling mouths, large, sharp teeth, and red, glowing eyes. And they were coming after Seras!

Seras tried not to think about the absurdity about battling an army of zombiefied, giant plushies, and, instead, focus on the task of actually fighting of the monstrous children's toys. Still she couldn't help but register the ridiculousness of her current situation as she fired another armor-piercing round through three of the creatures, then twirled around and used the butt of her borrowed gun to cave in the stuffed head of another plushy that had been coming up behind her.

Jayne jumped back down from the rafters and joined in the plushy destruction, seeming rather displeased by the idea. "Locked in an epic, life and death, struggle against a bunch of stuffed, children's toys. You know this never would've happened to me in my old unit."

"Oh just suck it up, and quite complaining. You wanted a fight, didn't you?"

Casey grunted and continued in their joint slaughter of the fluffy toys. And then, as the last one fell, the two heard a slow clapping sound from somewhere above them. "Not, bad, not bad," Zorin commented sardonically as she stared down at the two. "You've proven most adapt at defending yourselves against children's toys, but let's see how you handle yourselves against something a little more... insidious." The rogue vampire's tattoos began to swirl and reform once more as she continued, "Tell me, what do you really fear? What voices and faces haunt your nightmares?"

And suddenly the ground of the warehouse cracked and the rotting, undead forms of Seras's fellow town guards began to crawl their way out of the Earth. "This, this isn't possible," Seras commented as they began to approach her - all the town guards that had passed into death since she'd joined, even those who had fallen at the hands of regular criminals and not rogue vampires.

"Tell me about it," Casey replied as he too saw the faces of his own lost comrades.

They moaned and screeched and staggered closer to the pair. Seras even heard some of her old friends calling her by name, something that all her experience and teachings told her was impossible for zombies to do. Yet call her they did. "Seras, come to us. Why have you abandoned us? Why weren't you there for us?"

At first Seras was too stunned to do anything. She just stood there, wide-eyed and disbelieving, even as the horde drew dangerously close. But then, Casey leapt into the fray and began to attack the creatures with fang and claw, and that served to snap Seras out of her brief stupor. She attacked too, intermittently taking aim with Vera and using what martial arts she'd been trained in to fight off those who got too close. Still she could tell that something was off about the battle; she just wasn't sure what.

And then she saw Jack, stumbling along with the rest, and Seras remembered that her old partner's body hadn't been placed in the ground yet. It wasn't just unlikely that he'd be there, it was downright impossible. Then something clicked in Seras's mind, and she knew what was off about the battle. The blood that was being spilled was doing nothing to stir her vampiric nature. She could see it, even smell it when she was close enough. Yet, her hunger did not increase, nor did she feel her fangs lengthening or her tongue elongating or any of the other tell tale signs of bloodlust. The blood was strangely... hollow, empty, and completely incapable of provoking such supernatural, instinctive stirrings in her. And as Seras considered this, suddenly the truth flashed in her mind. "It's not real," she commented almost under her breath. "It's just an illusion. She's in my head, somehow preying on my fears."

This was not a battle taking place merely in the physical realm. Seras was struggling not against simple flesh and blood, but against her own fears and regrets. And so, realizing what was really going on. Seras stopped, took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and attempted to banish all fear and regret from her mind; to calm herself and focus only on her immediate task, the destruction of the rogue vampire. She shut everything else out, even the cries of her new partner, who was screaming at her to stop just standing there and help him fight. And when Seras opened her eyes once more she found all the enemies vanished, save one.

Jayne was still leaping around and lashing out at the empty air, but Seras didn't bother trying to explain what was going on to him. She didn't have the time; she wasn't sure how long she could maintain this mask of serenity. Instead she simply took aim once more at Zorin and pulled the trigger.

The shot flew true and struck the rogue right through her heart. She tumbled backwards of the beam she'd been standing on and was dust before she even hit the ground. It was over. It was all over, and the visions vanished with their master's death.

"What the... what happened?" Major Casey asked in a confused tone.

"You were right," Seras replied."

"Huh?"

"About vampires being slippery. It was a lie, all of it. None of it was real, except for Zorin."

"Oh," Jayne replied, still sounding a little confused but satisfied enough not to press for further explanation.

"Here," Seras continued as she handed Vera back to her new partner. "Thanks. 'Tis a good weapon."

"Yeah, she's my baby," Jayne replied as he took back his pride and joy. "You know... you should really consider getting a customized, high caliber weapon of your own... if you intended to keep hunting monsters and things that go bump in the night, that is."

Seras smiled. "Yeah, maybe I will. Maybe I will."

* * *

Well, I hope you all enjoyed the new chapter. The next one will be back at the palace... mostly at least. and should have the King in it as well. ;) You know, since this is listed as a Seras and Alucard fic. ;p

Have a good day, and God bless.

Metropolis Kid.

**To Larisa:** Thanks again for another sweet review. I'm very pleased that you enjoyed the last chapter and didn't think it was 'too filler'. :) And I'm also quite glad that you liked the way the reunion between Integra and Seras was handled. :D Yeah, Seras's new bodyguard is a little sourly... but he's not all bad. And I hope this new chapter helped to show that there is a little something beneath that sourly demeanor. Well, thanks again. :) And I hope you had some fun with the new chapter and continue to enjoy the story. ;)


	11. Seest One Diligent In Their Business

**Seest Thou One Diligent In Their Business? They Shall Stand Before Kings; They Shall Not Stand Before Mean Men.**

**AN:** This chapter takes place a couple of weeks after the last one.

* * *

Seras had been summoned again, and once again, she wondered for what purpose. For one who'd promised not to interfere in her business, the King seemed oddly fond of summoning her. Only this time, the summons was not to his bedroom, but the throne room instead. And Seras wasn't sure if she should be concerned by the change.

The throne room was an official setting, a place for official decree, not deals made on balconies and sealed, privately, in blood. It was also the highest court in the land, where the most grievous of criminals would be summoned to attempt to defend their actions before being sentenced directly by the King.

Seras swallowed hard as she approached the door to the King's throne room. She took a deep breath and braced herself for whatever might be awaiting her on the other side, then slowly, cautiously entered.

The King was there, sitting upon his throne. The Grand Vizier - a man who, through her mother's complaints and reports, Seras had learned to hate even before ever meeting - stood at his right. And to Seras's surprise, her own shadow, one Major Jayne Casey stood on the King's left. No one said a word, but they all stared at her, and suddenly Seras felt very small under their collective gaze.

She swallowed again, then found her voice. "You called for me, my king?" she said softly, her tone containing all the official reverence such a meeting required. A soft answer turned away wrath after all, and if she was to be judged for something - though she was unsure what that something might be - it could not hurt her position to be respectful.

The King extended his scepter, an unspoken invitation for Seras to approach, and she did just that, her eyes taking in the throne room as she went. It was a vast room, but sparse. Its width was slightly greater than its length, perhaps to give more people a chance to crowd around the King during important gatherings. Off to the side a man sat at a small desk, his form hunched over a typewriter, and Seras recognized that the man was a court stenographer, recording everything that happened in the throne room. But other than this man, his tiny desk, and the raised platform with the throne area itself, the room was completely bare. No gaudy trappings, no mementoes of past victories. It was still impressive enough, with marble walls and long, mahogany pillars, each with sections of the law etched into them. But the place was impersonal, cold, like an operating room... or a morgue. And somehow, despite the lack of severed heads, Seras found this room to be even more intimidating than the King's bedroom.

Seras reached the edge of the raised platform and stopped. She stared up at the King, trying to discern his intensions through his expression. Unfortunately for her, Vlad had developed a remarkably unexpressive 'poker face' after his many years dealing with politicians and foreign diplomats, and he was employing it now.

"I hear you've been busy these past few weeks," the King commented. "Stalking the streets of your old neighborhood. Taking the law into your own hands. Hunting... dangerous individuals."

"I have neve- !" Seras was quick - and forceful - to defend. But she caught herself, remembered where she was, how official the meeting was, and the fact that every word was being recorded. Even still she couldn't help but cast a glare at Major Casey, her shadow, and, apparently, the King's spy.

"I," Seras began again, more slowly this time, "have never acted outside the capacity of my position as a town guard. I have not taken the law into my own hands. I have sought to enforce your law, in keeping with my position and duty. I have pursued those who violated it, attempted to apprehend them, and only used lethal force when my life or the lives of innocents were directly threatened."

"You misunderstand," the King replied. "You are not here to answer for the lives you've taken. I've read the Major's reports, and I'm satisfied with the circumstances surrounding those events. What I desire is to know your motivation for placing yourself in such danger to begin with. Casey has already offered his opinion on the matter, but I wish to hear it from you directly."

"I... My motivation?" Seras asked, her tone a little confused.

"Yes, why did you risk your life to hunt these criminals? Was it simply our inherent desire to stalk and kill asserting itself in a way you believed acceptable? Or did you have other motives for risking your life, the life that I sought to protect by assigning one of my most trusted and capable agents to guard you?"

Seras hesitated. She waited and allowed the words to form fully in her mind before speaking them. "My motivations were the same as they've always been: to protect the innocent, to serve the public, to uphold the law. I was a guardswomen before you turned me, and I have never abandoned that position, or the duties that go along with it. Nor, have I drunk the blood of any I was forced to kill in the fulfillment of that duty. It was not the desire to hunt that motivated my actions, but the oath I swore to protect and serve. And, like you, my king, I believe that we are to keep to the oaths we take... even if doing so may place us in danger."

And to Seras's surprise the King's mask faded beneath a pleased grin. He nodded. "Such are the motivations ascribed to your actions in the Major's reports. Though they are phrased far less eloquently there." The King paused to look over at the were-creature on his left.

Casey grunted. "I'm a soldier, not a diplomat."

Vlad chuckled. "Indeed not, and a poor diplomat you would make... This one on the other hand..." He paused and indicated the Grand Vizier.

"She spoke with the conviction of youth, but I agree with your Majesty. The words where rather elegant... for one so young at least. I still recommend choosing one of the older, more experienced brides though. The child is idealistic, and that could lead to trouble."

Vlad paused and considered the counsel for a moment. "No, she is the first to show concern over something other than herself. And she may be idealistic, but her convictions will serve her well in the courtroom."

Seras just stared on with a puzzled expression. "Um excuse me," she interjected with a raised hand and waited for the King to look over at her. "What's going on?"

The King grinned once again. "What's going on, is that I'm about to offer you the Queen's crown."

"Wh-what?" Seras replied, her face pulled into an expression of disbelief. "But... but I thought you absolved m-"

"You are still a Draculina," the King hastily interrupted, "regardless of whatever else may be going on between the two of us. That makes you as much a contender for the crown as any of my other brides, and you have demonstrated your loyalty to the kingdom far greater than any other. The crown is yours... if you want it."

"If I want it?" Seras questioned.

"I honor my oaths," Vlad replied. "Besides, someone who was forced into the position of Queen would be a poor Queen indeed."

"I see... So, what _exactly_ does being the Queen entail?"

"The Queen is expected to preside over the social side of government when other duties demand my undivided attention or I must be absent for prolonged periods. If I am in the middle of a campaign or have sequestered myself in my chambers for whatever reason, you would be charged with dealing with the foreign dignitaries and ambassadors, acting as my proxy during diplomatic negotiations that I am too preoccupied to attend. You would also preside over the highest court in the land. You will not have the power to form any new laws of course, but you can... 'interpret' those already present and judge the accused accordingly."

"And that's all that is required of your Queen?" Seras asked cautiously. She was not about to agree to such a thing without first knowing if there were strings attached. _'Always read the fine print before you agree to anything,'_ her mother had often cautioned her during her formative years.

"All that is required, yes."

"What about expected?"

Vlad sighed, giving off the impression the woman's over scrutiny was taxing him. "All that would be expected of _you_ yes. I am not trying to trap you, Guardswomen. I am offering you a position others would covet and trying to insure that my kingdom is in good hands before I hav-" - the King's words died in his throat and he looked over at the stenographer - "before my attention needs to be devoted elsewhere."

And suddenly Seras realized that the King was planning something, something big, something likely to take him away from his kingdom for an unknown amount of time, something that was going to happen very soon. "And what happens if I decline the position?"

The King sat back a little further in his chair, indicating once again that the girl's reaction to the offer was trying his patience. But Seras wasn't going to let that affect her. She was going to make sure that she had all the relevant information this time _before_ 'agreeing' to a life altering offer.

"Then I'll continue searching for another worthy candidate. In the meantime if I must divert my attention elsewhere, the Grad Vizier will oversee the courts, and I guess I'll just have to appoint someone else to temporarily deal with the nation's diplomatic affairs."

"Someone else, your Grace?" Edward asked.

"Well, you can't do it! Regardless of what position you might hold in this kingdom, you're still the American ambassador. Having you representing two nations in the diplomatic realm would create a clear conflict of interest," the King replied, with an evident frustration that obviously surprised his Grand Vizier. Then he turn back to Seras. "Do you want the job or not?" he asked sharply.

"I-" Seras paused and looked over at Edward. Truly she did not. Dealing with conniving diplomats and meeting justice from on high was not her idea of an ideal job. In truth she wanted nothing more than she already had, the life of a guardswomen who was free to come and go as she pleased. But the thought of this man, this prideful, arrogant, elitist, twisted man being put in charge - even temporarily - of the highest court in the land sickened her. And so, despite not wanting it, Seras would take the position she'd been offered.

"I thank you, my king, for considering me for this position of trust and honor. And with your permission, I accept the Queen's crown and the duties bound to it."

And Vlad perked up a little. "Good, then let it be recorded that, from this day forth, Seras Victoria shall hold the position of No-Life Queen, and shall have the power and the responsibility to speak for the kingdom and its citizens, and to act as my proxy in all social matters, should circumstances prevent me from personally attending. So let it be written; so let it be done."

* * *

The place was dark, dank, and it stunk of blood, piss, shit, sweat, bile... and sheer terror. A man in an iron maiden screamed out in agony as another, being slowly lowered into a cauldron of boiling oil, pleaded for his life. Edward turn up his nose at the sight. He hated coming here, hated it with an absolute passion.

He was the Grand Vizier; he should be attending balls and rubbing elbows with the city's elite, other well to do, cultured people like himself. He should not be forced to wallow in the mire with the likes of common criminals. Yet he would endure the discomfort. He would tolerate the filth. He would return to the dungeons which sat deep beneath the palace as often as he had to... even if it did mean having to have his clothes burned and replaced afterwards, in order to escape the lingering stench of the place.

He would do it. He would suffer all of these things because one of these wretched beings possessed the means to advance his plan, and the Grand Vizier would have that man's assistance... whether he wanted to give it or not.

And so Edward did his best to hide his utter contempt and assume a more friendly demeanor as he approached the prisoner currently lashed to the rack. "Good day, Francis," The Grand Vizier greeted, stubbornly refusing to call the prisoner by the true form of his name. "They tell me that you've finally decided to cooperate, yes?"

The eunuch nodded sadly. "Yes," he rasped and then began coughing from the effort. "Wa-water, please."

Edward turned and motioned for a cup of water from the nearest torturer and the large, shirtless, pot-bellied man turned to fetch it.

"I'm glad. You know we don't enjoy doing this to you. But it is necessary. We must have the truth, you know?"

"I-I know," the man on the rack replied feebly as the shirtless torturer placed the glass of water into Edward's hand. The Grand Vizier held it up to the man's mouth and did his best to mask his disgust as the worthless degenerate so feebly sipped it. "I-I'm sss-sorry for lying before. I just... just didn't want to die."

"Poor human. But you realize the truth now, don't you?"

"Yes."

"That you're going to die either way. That your kind always dies. The only thing that matters is how much suffering you have to endure before you meet that end."

"Yes. I-I don't want to suffer no more. Please, please just let me die."

Edward smiled at the man. "Of course, as I said we don't enjoy doing this to you. But we need the truth. Give me your confession and I promise you, the pain will stop."

"Al-alright."

"You and Jouphrie conspired to kidnap one of the King's brides, didn't you?"

"Yes."

Edward grinned. "Because you believed that they could be used to track him?"

"Yes."

Edward's grin grew. "And the two of you and your fellow Christian conspirators needed that information to plan your coup?"

The tortured man's face suddenly took on a confused expression. "What? No, Jouphrie planned to sell her. We only wanted to get rich; we weren't involved in any coup."

Edward's grin vanished from his face and he sighed. "And here I thought you were ready to tell the truth."

"But I am!" the man protested with as much force as his broken body could muster. "I am telling the truth! We only wanted to get rich is all. We weren't part of any coup!"

Edward tisk-tisked and shook his head. "No, I'm afraid that we've uncovered several documents linking the two of you to a Christian underground with intensions of overthrowing the King." The Grand Vizier reached into his robes and pulled out several documents and letters indicating just that. They were all forgeries of course, but that didn't matter. They still 'proved' the man's guilt, though not quite as convincingly as his own confession would. "They prove your connection to the group just as your being caught by the royal guards' sting proved your personal sedition. We already know you're guilty, why lie and continue to suffer for it? Admit to your part in the conspiracy and you'll be permitted to die."

"What? Where d-did you get? I-I never..."

"I'm sorry, Francis, but I guess you're still not ready to tell the truth." Edward sighed sadly. "I'll be back tomorrow." And with that he turned and began to walk away, ignoring the pleas of the tortured man as he went.

Francis wasn't ready, no, not quite yet. But he was close. Soon the man would say whatever Edward wanted him too. And then, once the Grand Vizier had a confessing witness as well as the evidence to back him up, then it would be time to bring this 'seditious plot' to the King's attention.

* * *

Well, I hope you all enjoyed the new chapter. I think things are really starting to come together now, what with Seras finally being named Queen, and Edward's plan nearly ready. We should be ready to jump into the third act shortly. I hope you continue to enjoy. ;)

Have a good day, and God bless.

Metropolis Kid.

**To Larisa:** Thanks for the two new reviews. :) I am very pleased to hear that, this far into the story, you're still enjoying it so much! :D Also glad to hear that you've warmed up to Seras's body guard a little and got suck a kick out of Seras's question about whether he wanted some 'alone time' with his gun. Hehe. ;) I hope you had as much fun with the new chapter and enjoyed the King's reaction to Seras's 'hunting'. ;)

**To Wolfie:** Glad to hear you had fun with the Firefly and Chuck references. Two great shows, no? And I enjoy working in what I can from them whenever the opportunity presents itself. ;) Well, thanks for the review, and I hope you continue to enjoy.

**To MissMissy:** Glad to hear that you're enjoying Mr. Sparkles being cast as he villain (he really deserves to be) for a change. :) Sorry to hear about your jerky College instructors. :/ I'm currently in college myself, so I can definitely agree with your sentiments on how some of them like to pile on the useless homework and crap. Well, anyway, I'm glad you found some time to read, and I hope you continue to enjoy. ;)


	12. Destruction Cometh

**Destruction Cometh; And They Shall Seek Peace, And There Shall Be None.**

**AN:** I was planning on using this chapter to show Seras adjusting to her new role as Queen, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that that would take at least three chapters and would probably take the readers out of _this_ fic. It's a story that I think would just work better on its own, so I'm going to skip it... for now at least. Maybe after this is done I'll go back and write a short companion piece about Seras adjusting to her new role. But for now, I think it's better to focus on this story and its plot. Hope you all enjoy and don't mind - too terribly - the 'jump' from the last chapter to this one.

* * *

It had been a month since Seras's appointment as No-Life Queen, and though she'd originally had some trouble adjusting to the diplomatic responsibilities, with the help of a tutor, she was making great strides in that area. Even still, she preferred the courtroom over the fancy parties with stinky cheese - even if she sometimes had to get a little... 'creative' in her interpretation of the laws of the land to keep those motivated by simple desperation from winding up alongside the hardened criminals dangling from the gallows.

Truth be told, she wasn't quite sure how the King was going to react to a few of her rulings when he returned. But then she'd been careful not to actually _break_ any of the laws, just creatively bend them. So she figured - hoped - he couldn't find too much fault with her management of the kingdom while he was away. She supposed she'd find out soon enough. She'd heard that the King was already on his way back to the capitol city, and would likely reach it by sunrise.

It seemed a little odd to Seras that the King would be returning so quickly, given the strength of the enemy he'd left to fight, but she'd been unable to obtain any information about the campaign, other than the fact that the King was already on his way back. Perhaps the enemy had not been as well prepared as everyone had thought.

Still it would be nice to have the King back, and Seras found, much to her surprise, that she was actually looking forward to him seeing how well she'd managed the kingdom in his absence. Crime was down slightly and she'd handled herself well in a number of diplomatic negotiations. Sure, she hadn't originally wanted the job of No-Life Queen, but she recognized the trust he'd placed in her by bestowing it upon her. And she was pleased by the idea of showing him how well she'd repaid that trust. She wondered if she should call forth the dignitaries and nobles and throw a party for the returning King. She imagined that he would like that, a celebration of his victory and triumphant return.

* * *

The first light of dawn was just starting to streak the night sky as Vlad arrived back at his palace. And for the first time in more than a century, he was not returning a conquering hero. His army had been beaten. Not destroyed, but they had been fought to a standstill and then driven back. It was not the much lauded Chinese numbers that allowed them to do this, however. They'd fallen by the thousands while battling on Russian soil and Vlad's forces had easily succeeded in protecting the kingdom's latest acquisition from those intent on stealing it away from him. No, the trouble had not started until Vlad moved his forces to counter attack.

The Chinese were one of the few nations still not ruled by vampires. In fact to maintain her power in the face of what seemed to be a world-wide vampiric uprising the Empress Dowager had declared all vampires traitors to the nation in 1901 A.D. As a result all domestic vampires were hunted down and exterminated, and more than a hundred years later the Chinese army still lacked a single vampiric soldier. This had allowed Vlad's smaller but more powerful army to push the Chinese troops out of Russia with surprising ease.

The enemy did, however, have one ace in their hole. And Vlad's forces met it when they began their counter invasion. Chinese sorcerers had learned how to briefly summon up the spirits of the dead, their own ancestors, long since past. And as Vlad's forces began their push into the ancient holdings of China, they were brought face to face with a force unlike any the centuries old vampire had encountered: spectral soldiers who neither bled, nor suffered wounds as a fleshy creature would. They were the honored ancestors of the Chinese and they defended their descendants and their ancient land with surprising tenacity. And Vlad's own forces were left decimated in their wake and forced to retreat.

Now there was a new balance of power in the East. The remaining Russian soldiers and what was left of Vlad's own forces dug in along the border between Russia and China, and the Chinese, unable to summon their spectral forces on foreign soil, waited just out of reach.

Thus Vlad returned to his capitol, bruised, disheartened, and enraged. He had failed. For the first time in centuries, he had failed. He had once more felt the venomous string of defeat.

* * *

Vlad entered his palace, dejected, surly, and alone. And as he moved through the palace heading towards his chamber, where he could find some solace from the light beginning to pour in through the windows, he heard the sound of music and revelry in an adjacent section. Allowing himself to be momentarily sidetracked, the King headed into the ballroom. And there, there amongst all the other party goers on the morn of Vlad's retreat home he saw _her_: Seras Victoria, his No Life Queen.

She looked graceful as she glided through the crowded ballroom filled with dignitaries. She carried herself proudly, regally, as befitting her position. She smiled, laughed at some jest one of the dignitaries had made, and then she caught sight of _him_ and began to draw near.

Vlad turned away and began heading back to his personal chambers. But Seras was already to him. "My king," she called, "do you like it?"

Vlad turned back towards the girl. "Like what?"

"The party. I invited all the nobles and ambassadors."

"Oh, did you?" The King asked, his tone neutral. "Why?"

Seras looked confused for a moment. "To celebrate your return of course."

And Vlad's eyes suddenly narrowed. "I did not call for a celebration, did I?"

"Well, no, bu-"

"Then why would you think I wanted one?" he growled.

"Well, I just thought it would be a nice homecom-"

"Nice, NICE, you thought it would be nice?" the King shouted and suddenly the music stopped and all eyes turned to the two. The King quieted as he felt the gaze of everyone upon him. How could she do this? Was she an idiot... or did she intend to rub his nose in his defeat. He had sent no word of victory, why would she gather everyone together, all the power in his kingdom and call them to witness his failure like this? To mock and point and stare?

Suddenly an overpowering rage filled the King's heart as he looked out upon the sea of judgmental faces, all of them reveling in his defeat, called there by his own queen. Laughing at him. And in that moment Vlad wanted nothing more than to tear every last one of them apart. He wanted to rip into them and shred their mocking faces as he feasted on their blood. He wanted them dead. Dead, gone and forgotten.

And the monster's jaw opened, exposing his fangs. His eyes glowed, and his mouth began to water. This would be fun. But a small voice seemed to call him back from the brink of insanity, just before he snapped completely.

"My king, what's wrong?" Seras asked, concern evident in her voice.

And Vlad's attention shifted from the staring faces of the diplomats and noblemen to the innocent, almost cherub-like face of the girl looking up at him with such concern. Her small hand was upon his arm, as if holding him in check, though that was not her intention.

"Nothing's wrong," the King replied roughly. "Enjoy your party. Whittle away the hours with endless dancing. Get yourself drunk off the best blood wine in the kingdom. Show off your silk gown and other decorations! Eat, drink and be merry. But leave me out of it! _Some of us_ have important matters to deal with." And with that the King turned away once more and left.

Seras just looked on, stunned. What had she done to make him act like that? She'd only tried to do something nice for him; she didn't deserve to be treated like that for trying to do something nice. Seras's cheek was suddenly wet, and as she wondered about this, she realized that she must've been crying. Wiping a finger under her eye confirmed the suspicion. She was crying.

Somehow this monster, who she'd always told herself she didn't really care about one way or the other, had made her cry. Well, he'd never get the chance to do that again. That was it; she extended an olive branch to him, and in return he'd ground it under his boot. She was done with him.

* * *

After seeing the King's reaction to the party the previous night, Edward had decided it would be best to wait until the next evening to approach him about the 'Christian plot' the Grand Vizier had 'uncovered'. Edward hated having to delay his plan longer, especially after the Chinese had begun attacking the recently conquered Russians and had drawn the King and his forces away from the capitol right when Edward had finally gotten all of his ducks in a row. The Grand Vizier's plan had already been on hold for nearly a month, though the extra time did give him the chance to strengthen his case and even incorporate in a few modern developments. Still, Edward was getting antsy for his theological cleansing, but he didn't want to run the risk of an enraged King Dracula shooting the messenger when he tried to bring the 'insidious Christian plot' to the King's attention. So he'd waited just a little bit longer.

But now, his time had come. "Great King, live forever," the Grand Vizier greeted, bowing low as he did so.

"Yes, Edward, what is it?" the King replied as he remained bent over a large table upon which rested a map of his territories and those belonging to the Chinese. The Grand Vizier had requested and audience; and, being the King's most trusted advisor, he'd gotten it. But Vlad's mind was still preoccupied with the war. "Hmmm, I wonder. Maybe if I sent the Lycans to infiltrate?" Vlad mused aloud as he tried to figure out some way of quickly eliminating the enemy's sorcerers and thus sabotaging their ability to call forth the spirits of their ancestors. There were still a few shape-shifters in China, perhaps the Lycans would have better luck infiltrating the area than his Vampiric assassins had had. Vlad then rejected the idea as he realized that all of his Lycans were of European descent and would thus only be able to blend in as long as they remained in animal form, which would preclude them from interrogating anyone in order to gather information.

"A matter most grave, my liege," Edward replied, ignoring the King's musings on the Lycans. "It seems we have traitors in our midst."

Now _that_ got the King's attention and he sharply turned to the Grand Vizier. "Who?"

"The Christians, your grace. They are plotting to overthrow you."

The King's expression betrayed suspicion. "The Christians have been contributing citizens of the kingdom for more than eighty years. Why would they suddenly start trouble now? They have their right to worship same as anyone else, and despite their initial fears, I never culled their babies for human sacrifice... or engaged in any of their other absurd theories." The King seemed slightly amused as he thought back on the 'predictions' many religious leaders had made when he'd first seized the throne.

"To be honest, their motives baffle me as well, your grace. The only explanation I can offer is that old prejudices run deep. Perhaps they have merely been biding their time. But their motives are hardly relevant. Only the fact that they're plotting against you and your kingdom is important. And as to that matter, there can be no doubt."

"You have evidence then?"

"Yes, substantial evidence, your majesty. Intercepted communications, contracts, sales slips for massive amounts of silver, and high powered, armor piercing rifles, recorded correspondence with several rival kingdoms - including prolonged negotiations with the Chinese. Even a confessing co-conspirator, one of the men involved in that plot to kidnap one of your brides a couple months back."

"I see," the King replied and then sighed, surprising the Grand Vizier, who was expecting a more volatile reaction to the 'revelation'. "This is grave news indeed," Vlad continued almost solemnly.

"Your grace?"

"My forces are stretched thin as it is. I don't have an army available to deal with these traitors. I could use the town guards, I suppose, but they're not as well trained or equipped. And who would maintain order while they're hunting down and eliminating the traitors?"

"Surely you're not considering postponing dealing with the Christians, and letting them continue in their work?" The Grand Vizier exclaimed in astonishment.

"Of course not!" the King spat out angrily. "In more than five centuries, I've never allowed a traitor to go unpunished, and I'm not about to start now! I just don't relish what this is going to do to the stability of my kingdom. Right when I need unity and strength the most, I'm going to have to put down a revolution... The Chinese may get the upper hand as a result, and if they do... Well, that's bad news for us all." The King sighed. "Still, what must be done, must be done, and I cannot fight a foreign power with an enemy festering at home."

Edward was stunned for a moment. He hadn't considered that. The Chinese' hate for vampires was well known, and if they were to get the upper hand over the most powerful vampiric kingdom in the world they could pose a serious threat to all vampires everywhere. Was he sacrificing his own safety and that of his family simply to get back at someone who'd failed to show him the proper respect? No, there had to be a better way. And then the corner of Edward's lip curled as a thought came to him.

"Great King, I believe I have the solution. Rather than diverting your forces to deal with the traitors simply make a proclamation removing your protection from them. Let your own loyal citizens demonstrate their loyalty by dealing with the traitors themselves. Offer them the right to loot the bodies and claim the possessions of the Christians they kill, grant them the spoils of war and let them wipe out the Christians themselves. All you need to do is remove the protection of the law from them and your own loyal citizens will cleanse this land of the Christian contamination!"

And at this suggestion the King perked up. "Yes, there is wisdom in what you say. Bring me the evidence to review, and summon the confessing co-conspirator. Then draw up your proclamation. If everything is as you've said, I'll seal it with my ring before the next sunrise! And then you can begin distribution immediately."

* * *

Well, I hope you all enjoyed the new chapter. Next chapter will have the proclamation and Integra's reaction to it... as well as Seras finding out about it. Hope you all continue to have fun with this.

Have a good day, and God bless.

Metropolis Kid.

**To Larisa:** Thanks for the review and the encouragement. :) I'm very pleased that you enjoyed the last chapter so much and liked Seras's attention to detail what with her questions about both the requirements and expectations of her new position. Also glad to hear that you're so looking forward to Mr. Sparkle's fall. 'Tis coming, Larisa, 'tis coming. ;) Oh, and you're right about the last war not being too long ago, but this time Vlad actually wasn't the aggressor. He was pulled into the conflict by the fact that the Chinese kept attacking his most recently conquered province. ;) Well, anyway, thanks again for the review, and I hope you continue to enjoy.

**To Wolfie:** Glad to hear you're having so much fun with the story and are becoming so interested in Mr. Sparkle's plot. :) Thanks for the review, and I hope you continue to enjoy. ;)


	13. They Have Spoken  With A Lying Tongue

**The Mouth Of The Wicked And The Deceitful Are Opened Against Me: They Have Spoken Against Me With A Lying Tongue.**

**AN:** Hey, guys and gals, sorry about this update being a little late. My sister and her kids came over to visit yesterday just as I was sitting down to write, and so that delayed things a bit. Okay, now that the apologies are out of the way, unto the new chapter. Oh, one more thing first, (just FYI) I believe this chapter follows the Biblical story more closely than any which have proceeded it. I'm not quite sure how you all feel about that. But the ground work is set and it's time to start getting into the meat and bones of the story of Esther. Hope you all continue to enjoy. ;)

* * *

A Copy of Edward's Order To Kill The Christians:

King Vlad Dracula sends the following order to the governors of the 127 provinces, from the Emerald Isles to the Holdings of the Czars:

Your King has become the ruler of many nations and has forged the most powerful kingdom in the world, yet he has not abused his authority. Instead, in fairness and kindness, he has passed only those laws and edicts which have helped to ensure that his people will live in security, that his kingdom will be civilized, that travel from one end of it to the other will be safe, and that the law and order which everyone wants will be maintained.

The Grand Vizier has, however, uncovered something most disturbing. Edward Cullen is famous among us for his sound judgment, and he has proved himself by his constant good will and unfailing loyalty - so much so that even though he is of another race and breed, the King has named him his most trusted advisor and appointed him second in the kingdom. So we know that his testimony is true, further it has been established by several reports and even the confession of a criminal directly involved. There are a people, a hostile people, living among us.

Under the guise of peace they have infiltrated our communities, our places of business, and even some levels of our government. Yet, these people harbor evil intensions towards us. They keep their own laws and customs - contrary to those created to protect our safety and stability - and secretly plot the downfall of the kingdom and the destruction of our way of life. So it has been impossible for us to unify the administration of the kingdom and insure the security and stability we all desire. Therefore these people must be destroyed. They must be cut out like the cancerous infection they are.

To this end Grand Vizier Edward has been placed in charge of this matter and has suggested that the citizens of this great nation demonstrate their loyalty to King and country by destroying this subversive people utterly. On the fourteenth day of the twelfth month of this year - the month of December - the King's protection shall be removed from the Christians living in his kingdom. During that day, they may be hunted, slain, whatever, without fear of recompense from the law. And your King and his Grand Vizier implore you - the good, loyal, citizens of this great nation - to take full advantage of this opportunity to rid us of a deceptive and subversive people. And in return for this demonstration of your loyalty and patriotism, you shall reap all the spoils of war that you are able to take from their households and belongings. In this way, these hostile, subversive people will be purged from our land and then our Kingdom will be stable and secure for the future.

* * *

Integra could hardly believe it. She knew that that elitist prick of a grand vizier hated her because she refused to bow down to him. And she knew that he had no great love or respect for Christians in general. But she never thought he'd do... _this_. She never thought that he'd enact a plot to murder not only her but her entire people.

And she certainly never thought that he'd be able to convince the King to suspend the laws of the land - even temporarily - to permit such a slaughter of his own citizens. But now... in just over two weeks there would not be a single Christian left alive in all of Vlad's kingdom, not if Edward had his way anyway. How could their loyalty even be in question in the first place? Had she not - _twice_ - discovered and reported on plots against the King? What had the Grand Vizier done to so turn the King's heart against her and her people? What did the King think? Did he even know who he was condemning to death? Did he know how many of the people close to him were Christians? A gate keeper who'd twice saved him from the plotting of _real_ subversive forces? His own Queen? How could he condone such an edict?

In sorrow and grief Integra's head fell to the desk in front of her. She wept bitterly, soaking the dreaded edict with her tears. She wept for herself, for her people, but most of all she wept for her daughter. Then her mouth opened and slowly a whisper of a prayer began to flow from her heart.

"Lord, Lord Jesus, You are the King who rules everything. The universe itself is under Your control. No one can stop You when You desire to do something, and no one can stand against You when You have set Your heart upon something. You made Heaven and Earth and every wonderful thing under Heaven. You even made the darkness for the day of evil. There is nothing in this world, nor any other, that You have not made, nor anything which is not under Your authority. No one who stands against You can prosper, oh Lord.

"And You know everything. You know that when I refused to bow down before that man, I never imagined anything like this could come of it. But, even if I'd known, I still would've refused - not out of arrogance, or self righteousness. Oh, Lord, forgive me, perhaps I was arrogant, perhaps even self righteous that first day in the King's courtyard. Forgive me of my pride, please, oh Lord. But now... now I cry before You, humbled and without any guile. Yet, even if that man entered now and promised to repeal the edict if I bowed down before him, You know that I would still refuse - not out of pride, for grief has driven all my pride from me, but out of obedience to You, Lord God. Dear Lord, I would kiss the man's feet, but I would not bow down before him. For You alone are worthy of praise and worship, and I will honor no one else as much as I honor you, my God. For you alone are worthy.

"Dear Lord, please do not let my people... _Your_ people suffer for me, for the sin of my pride or the determination I have to be faithful to You. Lord, as You spared us once before from eternal damnation, I'm asking You... I'm begging You, please spare us from this edict. Open up a way for us to escape out of the hands of those who hunger for our blood. Please, Lord, do not forget the people You have saved and called by Your name - the very people You died for once before. Hear my prayer, oh Lord. Have mercy on Your people. Turn our sorrow into joy so that we might live to praise Your name and sing of Your glory and mercy. Do not let the evil ones destroy those who follow You."

Integra finished her prayer, and all was quiet, save for the slight sound of her continued weeping. And then a thought came to her, like a light from above. Perhaps the King didn't know who he was condemning to death. She had only ever met him once, and the topic of that meeting had never strayed to her religious beliefs. Likewise, as far as she knew, her daughter had never discussed her own beliefs with the King during their brief encounters. The Grand Vizier, on the other hand, had the King's ear almost every day. How easy would it be for him to plant seeds of evil in the King's mind, lies, venomous deceptions. And with no other voice to counter them, how easily they would take root. Perhaps, just maybe, this edict passed through the King simply by virtue of ignorance, and not any malicious intent. If someone could but reach the King; if someone could but plead their cause, perhaps - just maybe - they might all be saved.

Integra smiled in joy. Then looked up to heaven. She closed her eyes and thanked the Lord for lighting her path and showing her what might be done to save them all. Then she snatched up the edict, grabbed her coat, and raced out the door.

Integra was headed towards the palace, but not to see the King. She knew he'd never listen to her if she burst in on him without an appointment, and she didn't have the time to go through official channels. It could take months to get an appointment to see the King, and even those who had appointments already were being postponed so that the King would have more time to plan his next offensive against the Chinese. No, going to the King would only result in her dying before she got to plead her cause... or worse, her own breach of the law being taken as further proof of Christian treachery. No, the King would need reason to extend favor and spare the life of one who came to him unbidden. He would need to know and care about the person. And so Integra ran to the palace, not to see the King, but to meet with her own daughter, the Queen.

* * *

Integra's face was flush and she was quite out of breath by the time she reached Seras's chamber, and her daughter's expression upon seeing her revealed both surprise and concern. She knew instantly that something was wrong but had no idea what. "What is it?" Seras all but gasped.

Integra huffed a few times to restore much needed oxygen to her blood before replying. "Have you seen this?" she asked as she held the leaflet containing the dreaded edict out to her daughter.

"I... no, what is it?" Seras responded sounding a bit confused by the urgency with which her mother regarded the small scrap of paper. Then she started to read and her already pale, vampiric skin, turned ghostly white. "They... they can't!" she exclaimed in a torrent of emotions, not the least of which being fear and betrayal.

"They already have."

"I... I'll hide you in the palace, give you some of my old bride's clothes. And you can stay in the women's section. The King has so many 'brides' already, I doubt anyone would notice one more. Well, Walter might, but he's a good man. I think we can trust him to keep the secret."

Integra smiled at her daughter. "Thank you for the offer, but I will not abandon my people... our people. If they are to die, then I shall die alongside them. But I think there's a way for us all to yet avoid that fate."

"What? how?" Seras asked anxiously. "The edict is already passed; what can be done about it now?"

"It's obvious from the wording that Edward has been the driving force behind this edict. The King's heart may yet be turned - if someone he trusts were to plead our cause before him."

Seras just stared for several seconds, wondering who her mother could possibly have in mind for the position of this Champion of the Christians. Who within their community might have a high enough standing to appeal to the King and turn his heart from this senseless slaughter? And then a thought struck her. "Dear Lord! You can't mean me!"

"You are the Queen, are you not? Who better to plead our cause before the King? Surly you must have his favor for him to appoint you to such a position. Go to him. Reveal to him that you are a Christian, and plead our cause."

Seras just shook her head. "Maybe once I had his favor - even still it's beyond me what I did to get it... or lose it. I have no idea how that man's twisted mind works. But whatever favor I had, I've lost. I've only seen him once since his return, nearly a month ago. And during that meeting, he made his disdain for me _quite_ clear."

"You must be exaggerating," Integra replied. "You are still the Queen."

"I don't know why. _That_ _man_... he must hate me."

"You _must_ go to him," Integra insisted.

"Mum, I-I can't; if I go to him, he'll have me _killed_," Seras replied, tears in her eyes.

Integra pulled her daughter to her and wrapped a comforting arm around her. "My dear child, do you think that the Lord has saved you without reason? Do you think He spared you from the destruction of your home as an infant and from what should've been your death in an old cathedral three months ago without cause? Do you think He guided you to the position of Queen on a whim? Can you not see that He has planned it all from the beginning, that he has brought you here so that you might be the voice that speaks for His people. Can you not see God's hand in your life? He saved you from death twice and lifted you to a station far above our breeding. Do you think He would do all that, just to abandon you before the King? I think not. Don't you see; you must do this."

"Mum, I-I-" Seras stuttered.

And Integra gently rubbed her back, just as she'd done many years before, when Seras was just a baby in her arms. "You must do it, Seras. It's the purpose the Lord has groomed you for and called you to. If you don't fulfill it... Well, I have faith that the Lord will find some other means to deliver his people, but you will have failed to answer Him when he called for you. And who's displeasure is the more fearful, that of an Earthly king... or that of God - the King of all creation?"

Seras gulped. She tried to open her eyes but did not have the will to do so. "Send a message to the leaders of the Christian Churches throughout the kingdom. Have them tell all of our people to fast for three days - I will fast as well - and pray. And at the end of those three days, I shall go to the king. And if I perish... I perish."

* * *

Well, hope you all enjoyed the new chapter. Next one will - hopefully - be up on time. And we should get to see Seras going to the King... as well as a funny, little bit of irony regarding Integra and Edward. ;)

Have a good day, and God bless.

Metropolis Kid.

**To Larisa:** I'm very pleased to hear that you enjoyed the last chapter so much, and didn't mind the 'time jump' too terribly. :D Thanks for the review, and I hope you had as much fun with this update as the last. ;) I do want to write that companion piece - detailing Seras's adjustment to her position as No-Life Queen - and I'm hopeful I'll be able to start it shortly after this fic concludes... assuming my courses continue to cooperate. :/ Anyway, I'm very pleased that you're still enjoying this story so much... and it's nice to see you having the intended reaction to the Grand Vizier. ;) Hope you continue to enjoy.

**To Wolfie:** Yeah, poor Seras was only trying to do something nice. It's too bad that Vlad reacted like he did instead of waiting, cooling off and looking at the situation more objectively. But then I think we can all be accused of behaving like that from time to time, reacting aggressively - from a position of hurt - without getting all the facts. And Vlad does seem to have temper on him, which I think would make him even more susceptible to such a reaction. Well, thanks for the review, and I hope you continue to enjoy. ;)


	14. Let Your Request Be Made Known

**Fear Nothing, But In Everything, By Prayer And Supplication And With Thanksgiving, Let Your Requests Be Made Known.**

* * *

The time had come for Seras to go to the King and plead for the lives of her people, but she decided to say one final prayer before preparing herself for the King. "My Lord, _our_ King, You alone are God. I am alone in this place and have none other to help me, save You. Help me, please. Protect me, for I am in great danger. You know what happens to those who enter the throne room unbidden, who force an audience with this king. Lord, I don't want to die. Please, save me and spare my life, just as You spared it twice before. And give me the words to speak, give me Your wisdom. Help me to find favor in the eyes of this king, and use me as an instrument to save Your people.

"Save us from the evil, murderous people who have gathered together against us. They want to destroy Your people, oh God, those saved and called by Your name. They want to do away with what You promised. They want people to stop praising You, to extinguish the light of Your fire and drown the whole world in utter darkness.

"Lord, don't surrender Your scepter to the rulers of this world. Don't let them destroy those called by Your name. Instead, turn their own plan against them, and make an example out of the one who started all this. Remember us, Lord, and show us mercy. Make Your presence known to us during this time of suffering. Give me courage, oh King of kings and Lord of lords. Help me to say the right words when I stand before King Vlad Dracula. Soften his heart and change his mind so that he will hate the one who's trying to destroy us and will put an end to him and all those who stand with him. Use Your power to save us and help me. I am alone and have no one to help me but You, oh Lord.

"Lord, You know everything. You know that I have never sought my own honor. You know that I despise being a vampire, that I never wanted to be a queen, that I never wanted any of this. You know that my only desire... well, my _greatest_ desire anyway, has always been to serve You and protect others. Yet, you saw fit to raise me to this station. You allowed that king to save me by turning me into a vampire. You brought me to the palace and arranged for me to become his queen. My mother says that You did this all so that I could speak for my people - _Your_ people - when this moment came. If that is the case, then help me now, oh Lord. Help me to find favor in the King Dracula's eyes, and give me the words that will turn his heart and save our people. Stand with me, Lord, for You are me shield, my tower of refuge and strength, and all my trust is in You... just as my life is in Your hands. In Jesus name, I pray. Amen."

Having finished her prayer, Seras put off the plain clothes that she had worn the last three days. She bathed, washed her hair, and donned her queenly garments once more. She placed the crown of her station upon her head and then left her chamber and headed towards the King's throne room.

On the way, Seras felt herself growing weaker. She had underestimated how dependent her body had become on the small amount of blood she consumed each night. And the exertion of preparing herself, coupled with the long walk to the throne room, was draining what little strength she had left. Halfway to her destination, Seras reflected that perhaps the fast had not been such a great idea. She had intended it to show her humility before the Lord and the humility of the rest of His people. But she had not expected it to leave her so weakened. She remembered the deal she'd made with Vlad, that he would let her come and go as she pleased, so long as she drank the blood prepared for her. And Seras realized that not only was she now in breach of that deal, but that that breach must be quite obvious. She was so tired, so weak.

She thought about turning back, about going back to her chamber and waiting one more day before approaching the King. She could partake of the blood prepared for her, and regain some measure of her strength. But no, in the end she decided against that. Everyone had been praying for her, for this meeting. Everyone, not just her had been fasting, and making supplication before God. If she turned back now, that would all be wasted. Besides, she wasn't sure she could muster up the courage to come this far again. She feared that if she turned back now, she would never fulfill the purpose God had ordained for her life. She was compelled forward. And so she prayed; she begged the Lord for strength and continued on.

She was at the doors to the throne room now, and her hand shook, from a mixture of fear and weakness, as she reached out to open one of the two double doors. It creaked slightly as it moved, a subtle noise, but in Seras's ears it sounded like the roar of a lion. Still she pressed on, slipping in through the crack between the parted doors and into the presence of the King.

He didn't seem to notice her at first. He was preoccupied with battle plans and his attention was turned away from the door and fixated on his generals, advisors, and the maps which rested on the long table before him.

Seras gulped. Then she opened her mouth and a whisper escape her. "My king?" Still the King failed to take notice. She closed her eyes for a second then repeated more loudly, "My king."

Finally, Vlad's attention turned. "What is it?" he bellowed, as he turned, an aura of fierceness surrounding his body. Seras, already weakened and terrified, withered under the fire in his eyes and collapsed.

Then the King saw her: the one he'd considered interesting enough to save in the Cathedral; the one who'd chosen to place the needs and protection of others before her own when she was given the freedom to do whatever she wanted; the only one of his 'brides' he'd never bedded, yet the one he chose among them to be his queen; the Queen who'd been so confident, so graceful, so happy, before he'd lost his temper and chided her at the ball four weeks ago. And now she laid, decked out in her robes and crown, on the cold, hard floor of his throne room - the innocent, pure, kind virgin thrown to the fires on the anger of a pagan monster. The change was immediate.

There was a war to be won, one people to be protected and another crushed. In the last month nothing the King had not permitted anything to interfere with his duty, his glory... or his quest to restore his wounded pride. The war was his... and more important than anything. Yet now, he forgot it all. His battle plans, generals, and advisors were all pushed aside, and he rushed to his Queen.

"Foolish, stupid girl," the King commented as he cradled her head in his arms, the words lacking any of trace of the venom Seras would have expected for breaking her deal with him. He turned from Seras and called for a basin of blood. Then he looked back down at her, visible concern plain on his face. She was just one girl in a kingdom of many, one bride in a palace filled with them. Yet, somehow - despite his best efforts to the contrary - she had become so much more to him. "I told you to drink the blood prepared for you. Look what you've done to yourself."

"You look... kind," Seras commented distantly as she opened her eyes to stare up at the man holding her. She'd never seen him like this before, and the change was quite striking. "I-I'm sorry, my king. I had to speak with you, and I was afraid. You haven't called for me in so long... and I know the penalty for approaching you without permission. I haven't eaten or slept these past three days," Seras answered and then slipped from consciousness once more.

"Foolish girl," the King repeated then bit his tongue until blood began to flow from it. He bent his head low and grazed his lips against those of the girl lying in his arms. He shared his blood with her and gently eased his wounded tongue through the opening between her lips, and her starved body welcomed him and the nourishment he was providing.

It was only the second time their lips had met and this second meeting in many ways mirrored the first. Once again, Seras was weak, borderline unconscious, and very much in need of rescue. And once again, the King was there to strengthen her, to help her, to protect her. But this time, it was his own blood - not hers - that he was sharing with her, and his actions were more gentle, more kind. Last time they were brutish as he fought to save her life, now they were tender as he labored to preserve what he'd saved.

"You worry too much," the King replied, in a soothing tone, after his tongue healed and the kiss ended. "I could never..." he began then stopped. The King turned from his queen once more, this time towards the stenographer in the corner, and his voice regained it's authoritative edge. "The Queen is like me, this palace is her home..." he began awkwardly, then stopped. This had to sound official if it was to be recorded in the book of the law. "Seras Victoria is my Queen, and everything I have is hers, just as it's mine. The Queen may go anywhere she wishes, talk to anyone she desires without fear of penalty. She is above guests and ambassadors. She is even above my most trusted advisors. She is a part of me, and I a part of her. And she alone can approach me any hour of any day and speak her mind, for nothing is to come between us." Vlad noticed that the stenographer had ceased his typing and was just staring at him, dumb expression on the man's face. "Type it up!" the king shouted, and the low rhythmic sound of typing could be heard once more.

One of the room's guards returned with the basin of blood the King had called for, and Vlad held it to Seras's mouth. She sipped it slowly. And the King smiled done at her as a small amount of color reentered her cheeks. "Now, Queen Victoria, what would you request of your King? Tell me what you want, and it's yours... even to the half of my kingdom."

Seras opened her mouth to answer, but to her confusion the words failed to form. She tried once more, but she was still unable to plead for the life of her people. She pondered this anomaly for a few seconds, and a single word suddenly entered her mind. _'Wait.'_ Seras's face scrunched up, she could not understand why she should postpone her plea. But she believed that it was the Lord who was suddenly calling her to wait. So she followed His instruction.

And to Seras's further confusion, very different words began to form within her mouth. "My King, the new sun will be rising soon. And this is a special day for me. Please, if I have found favor in your eyes, come with your Grand Vizier to a dinner I shall prepare in your honor after the sun sets. And there I shall make my request."

The King eyed the girl strangely, wondering why she was postponing her request. But he decided that - whatever her motivation - he would indulge her. "As you wish," the King replied softly.

* * *

Edward stepped out from the palace just as the sun began to crest to sky, the few stray rays that landed upon him, causing shimmering sparkles, an outward display that very much matched his internal mood. He was thrilled by the distinction he'd just been given. The King had just raised the Queen to a position that rivaled his own, and yet her first request was for a private banquet with just the three of them.

Surely that had to be a sign that she favored him as much as the King did. And that was very, very good. It meant that he'd firmly cemented himself in with the royal family. He had the King's ear, and now he had the ear of the only other person in the kingdom who's authority equaled his own, the governor of all domestic issues whenever the King left for war. And with things heating up along the border of the lands of the Chinese and those of the Czars, Edward suspected that the King would be going off to war quite a bit in the near future.

Everything was going splendidly, and the Grand Vizier felt rather like leaping for joy... not that his dignity would allow him to do so, of course. And then, he caught sight of Integra still sitting in the King's courtyard, and bitterness filled his soul. She was still alive, mocking his station with her failure to capitulate to his demands and honor him as she should. It meant nothing. He had wealth. He had influence. Even still, what did any of it mean if he could not wield it to compel one, single, peasant girl to bow down to him? And so, it was with a heavy heart, rather than a joyful one, that the Grand Vizier returned home.

His wife seemed to notice her husband's melancholy mood almost instantly. "And what's got you so troubled? Aren't you to attend a very exclusive banquet tonight? You should be ecstatic."

"I saw _her_ again," Edward replied simply, knowing that his wife would get his meaning... and that it was pointless to try to conceal anything from her after the number of years they'd been together.

Rosalie sighed heavily. "I will never understand your obsession with this peasant girl."

"She... _vexes_ me. I can have no happiness, no joy, as long as I know she still lives and her disgrace goes unpunished."

"She'll be dead in a week and a half. Isn't that enough?"

"And yet, in the meantime, every breath she takes lends credence to her insult."

"Then why didn't you set the date of the execution to immediately follow the proclamation. She'd already be dead."

Edward huffed. "Because the King thinks this is all being done to put down a potential uprising. When it is done, it must be done swiftly, and the common men - on who's shoulders this bloody task will fall - will need time to organize and plan. Don't you see, I set it as close as I could... and yet reasonably expect the plan to go off without a hitch. But that means that that woman is left alive to continue in her pompous, arrogant insult. Do you know that she hasn't even mentioned the edict to me? She hasn't made the slightest effort to apologize or seek my forgiveness or anything. She acts as if it doesn't even exist, as if nothing can touch her or her people!" Edward slammed his fist into a nearby pillar, driving his hand through the polished marble and leaving a deep impression. "It's just insulting."

"So, kill her first," Rosalie replied simply.

"I intend to," Edward responded a slight tinge of confusion in his tone.

"No, I mean before the Edict takes effect. Go to the King and ask special dispensation to execute one of their leaders first. Tell him that she's trying to hasten the uprising and begin the rebellion before the edict goes into effect and that, if her voice isn't silenced now, she might succeed."

And suddenly a cat-like grin began to pull at the edges of Edward's lips. "I love you, honey, do you know that?"

Rosalie chuckled slightly. "Yes, I believe you've said so a couple times before," she replied coyly. She rose from her seat and glided over to her husband. "Of course, there's a very wise sang. Talk is cheap." She paused for a moment as her fingers danced upon her husband's features. "I'd rather have you show me," she finally continued, batting her eyes seductively to insure there was no chance of miscommunication.

And Edward's grin widened. He kissed his wife's neck and nibbled on her flesh for a moment, then pulled back. "Let me talk to the King. Let me kill that peasant girl today, and rid her from my mind. And then... when I return to you, I'll ravage you properly," he responded with a wink.

Rosalie pressed her body to her husband's. "Why wait?" She moaned hungrily.

"Business before pleasure, My Sweet," Edward replied, placing his index finger on his wife's lips.

She parted them and sucked on it for a second, her face titling upwards to lock ravenous eyes with her husband. "Hmmmm, hurry back. And while you're asking the King for her life, ask him for her blood too. Then bring her with you. We'll slay her together and paint each other's bodies red with her essence. And then, _slowly_, lick it all up." Rosalie grinned, and wet her lips at the thought of using the life blood of this woman - who'd so captured her husband's attention... even if it was negatively - to further their marital pleasures.

Edward seemed rather taken with the idea as well. "I _love_ you," he responded, some small measure of awe plain in his tone.

* * *

Well, I'm afraid that took a little longer than expected. Sorry, but I guess we're going to have to wait one more chapter for that funny little bit of irony with Integra and Edward. :/ So, hopefully, that plus Seras's request next chapter. Anyway, I hope you're not too disappointed by the delay and still enjoyed this chapter. ;)

**To Larisa:** Glad to hear you enjoyed the last chapter... and came away with that justly deserved hated of Mr. Sparkles. ;) I hope you had as much fun with this one. I know I wasn't able to get to everything I'd promised, but I was able to insert a little bit more AxS fluff, which hopefully fit the context of this fic. And I do think this did a decent job of furthering the plot. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed. And thanks for all your reviews and for remaining so loyal to this fic (which has expanded far beyond my original intensions for it). :D

Have a good day, and God bless.

Metropolis Kid.

**PS.** _Special thanks_ to Lila (Lion in the Land) for suggesting some areas where I could expand the scene where Alucard first sees that Seras has collapsed in the throne room and rushes to her. ;D


	15. Thou Preparest A Table Before Me

**Thou Preparest A Table Before Me In The Presence Of Mine Enemies**

**AN:** I know that in the Biblical account there are two dinners before the Queen states her request, but for this story, I'm shortening that to just one because I think doing so improves the flow. I hope you'll forgive me this little deviation. After all, it's hardly the biggest change present in this tale. ;P

* * *

The sun was climbing ever higher into the sky. It had been nearly an hour since the King had retired to his coffin, yet he found himself unable to sleep. Instead his mind was filled with visions of his Queen and the mystery surrounding her unknown, yet obviously terribly important, request. The King had been infected, his mind poisoned with a most compelling mixture. Mystery and love were both compelling stimulants in their own right, but when mingled with each other they produced a cocktail no man could resist... and one hardly conducive to rest... even for the dead.

Finally, in desperation, the King rose from his coffin and called for one of the palace scribes and the latest quarterly palace records. _'Ten minutes of that dry chronicling would be enough to put even one of the American undead to sleep,'_ the King thought to himself. Yet, his prediction failed to come true, for more than a half hour later, he was still wide awake... and bored beyond belief, as the scribe rattled off a record of every little thing that had happened in the palace over the last three months (every recorded thing anyway). It was quite the unpleasant combination: insomnia, mixed with intense boredom. And the King was just about to dismiss the scribe, when the old man with the long, pointed beard read off a record that actually managed to catch Vlad's interest, for this entry was about something far more interesting than sick days, shift swaps, and attendance records. This entry concerned treason, and a conspiracy that the King believed to still be a threat.

"And in the presence of Grand Vizier Edward Cullen and Dawn Guard Mickey Smith it came to pass that Gate Keeper Integra Hellsing, off duty at the time, revealed the existence of a plot, by Royal Baker Jouphrie Nervad and Eunuch Franko Demer, to kidnap one of the King's brides. A trap was subsequently laid for Royal Baker Jouphrie Nervad and Eunuch Franko Demer. Falling into the trap, and thereby confirming the plot uncovered by Gate Keeper Integra Hellsing, Royal Baker Jouphrie Nervad and Eunuch Franko Demer were both arrested and-"

"Stop," the King ordered before the scribe's impassionate prattling could move beyond the sole subject of actual interest in the report. "Integra, Integra... why is that name familiar to me?" the King questioned aloud.

And the scribe followed a link in his handheld, digital pad to Integra's personal records. "It seems that she previously uncovered another treacherous plot. As a kitchen server she overheard Chief Lieutenant Lee Sanders and Sub Lieutenant Jeffery Dommer planning to assassinate your majesty, and Integra Hellsing reported the treachery to Palace Guard Roy Harper. For this demonstration of loyalty and initiative, your highness promoted Integra Hellsing from kitchen server to gate keeper."

"Ah, yes, I remember her now. A plucky little thing. Lots of fire and conviction. And you say she was the first to uncover this latest treachery by the Christians?"

"The reports indicate that she was the one to uncover the plot to kidnap one of your brides, yes. But there's nothing in here about her testimony convicting the Christians as a whole."

"I see. Even still, it was the discovery of that plot which led the Grand Vizier to unraveling the greater conspiracy lying underneath. That woman may have very well saved my Kingdom. Tell me, what was done for her?"

"Done for her, Sir?"

"What reward was she given for uncovering and reporting this plot."

"Why, nothing, Sir."

"Nothing?" Vlad repeated in surprise. "Well, that just won't do, Loyalty should be rewarded. It needs to be rewarded, as does initiative. After all, such are the corner stones of my kingdom. They must be encouraged if the kingdom is to continue to prosper," the King mused aloud and walked over to his balcony as he continued to ponder what reward should be given to this gate keeper. And it was then that he caught sight of Edward approaching the palace, and the King grinned.

He turned back to the scribe and spoke once more. "I see that the Grand Vizier is approaching the palace. His arrival is well timed. Go to him and tell him I desire his advice on an important matter."

* * *

Edward was a little worried about how exactly he was going to finagle a face to face with the King given the early hour of the day, and the fact that the King was likely to be resting in his coffin. The Grand Vizier had little doubt that the King would grant his request. As always, his wife's advice had been brilliant. Claim that his nemesis was plotting to stage the coop early and use that as an excuse to execute her before the others: why hadn't he thought of that? But getting to the King could still be trouble, for even the Grand Vizier wasn't allowed to approach the King without an appointment, unless called for. Still, as he reached the palace's main entrance Edward was confident that he'd figure something out.

Such proved unnecessary however, for as the Grand Vizier entered and old scribe approached him and told him that the King desired to see him. Edward smiled. "Of course, lead the way," he replied, thrilled with how easily this was all going. If he had believed in a god, he would've been sure he had the deity's favor.

Edward followed the scribe to the King's chambers and entered with a most flattering greeting. "Great King, live forever. I am told you desire my council, and it is my joy and privilege to serve," he spoke as he entered the room. First he'd help the King with whatever problem he was having, and then, once that was done, he'd inform him of the 'accelerated plot'.

"Tell me, Edward," Vlad responded. "What should the King do for the one he seeks to honor?"

And suddenly Edward's heart was filled with pride, for he thought_, 'who should the King seek to honor more than myself?'_ This was truly a day of days. First he would use the King's question to indulge in a little ego flattering. And then, once his answer was given, he would have his nemesis's blood, his wife's love... and then celebrate his triumph with a public display of the King's favor!

"This is what you should do for the one you seek to Honor, oh King. Your servants should bring your finest robe and a horse you have ridden into battle, and these two items should be turned over to one of your most distinguished officials. And that official should take these things to the one you seek to honor, place the robe upon him, help him to mount the horse, and then lead him through the city's main streets shouting, 'This is what is to be done unto those the King seeks to honor!'"

And Vlad smiled, for such a display would send exactly the message he desired. "Good, good. Let it be done as you have suggested, and let nothing you have spoken be left out!"

"You," the King called the scribe that had escorted Edward to him. "Fetch my finest robe and my fittest battle steed. Bring them to the front of the palace, and wait there for the Grand Vizier."

"And you," the King continued, turning back to Edward. "You shall take these things and find the Gate Keeper Integra Hellsing. You shall place my robe upon her, help her mount my battle steed, and you shall lead her through every one of the city's main streets proclaiming loudly that this what is to be done unto those the King favors and seeks to honor."

And suddenly the pleased grin plastered across Edward's face morphed into a dumb look of utter disbelief. "I'm sorry, Great King, but I'm afraid I... I must have misheard. _Who_ is it you seek to honor?"

"What's wrong, Eddie, all those animals starting to affect your hearing?" the King joked. "I told you before that animal blood doesn't make for a proper vampiric diet." He laughed and then answered, "The Gate Keeper Integra Hellsing, the one who uncovered the plot to steal one of my brides and led you to discovering the vast Christian conspiracy. I have discovered that no honor has been paid to her for this loyal service. And now, with your help, I will rectify this oversight."

And suddenly Edward realized the mistake in integrating his fictional Christian conspiracy with a real plot uncovered by the one he wanted dead above all others. The King was obviously unaware of Integra's religious affiliation, but he did know something about her. He knew that she'd discovered the plot to kidnap one of his brides and reported it, if nothing else. And if he should discover that she was a Christian, then, Edward realized, his whole plan could be in serious jeopardy. After all, what sort of sense would it make for a Christian co-conspirator to expose a Christian plot?

"I-I Yes, your majesty, I shall do as you say," Edward finally replied, doing his best to check the outrage he felt building in him. He had come to ask for the woman's life... and now he was to be made her herald? It was unthinkable, and he shuttered to contemplate it. But, to cover up this little discrepancy in his plan as best as possible, the Grand Vizier was forced to swallow his pride and honor the woman he loathed and sought to murder.

* * *

Integra's eyes went wide when she answered the knocking at her door only to find Edward standing on the other side. At first she wondered if he'd come to kill her. She knew the time of the edict had not yet been fulfilled, but perhaps her enemy had received some kind of special dispensation to eliminate her early. She could think of no other reason that he'd come to her house. Sardonically the woman thought that of course her execution would have to come on her day off. It just figured.

But then Edward thrust a beautiful garment towards her, confusing her even more. "Put this on," he growled.

"What, why?" she asked in a bewildered tone.

"Because the King orders it," Edward replied through strained teeth.

"The... The King orders that I wear a silk robe... with gold etching... and black pearl buttons?"

"Yes, now put it on."

Too confused to do anything else, Integra complied. And then she let her enemy lead her to where a beautiful, black stallion was tied at the foot of her apartment building. "Get on," Edward ordered.

"No," Integra refused, utterly perplexed and demanding some explanation. "I'm not taking another step until you tell me what's going on."

Edward's face pulled into a hateful scowl. Even still, he knew he must answer. He could not risk anything going wrong at this junction... at least not anything else, nor could he risk the questions that would arise if he - for whatever reason - failed in the duty the King had charged him with. "The King seeks to honor you," Edward explained. "You're to wear his robe, ride his horse and be led through the city, with me proclaiming your honor the whole time."

"What, why?" Integra asked, baring a look of greater confusion than any which proceeded it.

"How should I know?" Edward dodged. "Just get on the horse so we can get this over with."

And so, the two people that hated each other more than anyone else in the Kingdom were forced by royal decree to spend the day marching through the city streets, the official that Integra had refused to bow before forced to pay her honor as the King's proxy, as the woman, condemned to die in less than a week and a half, was today marked as one the King sort to honor

And that did it. Integra had always suspected that vampires were a little... well, batty. But now she knew - she was absolutely positive - that every, single, last one of them was _completely_ daft looney.

* * *

The King and his most trusted advisor relaxed in their suede chairs, as Seras stood, and fidgeted somewhat nervously, before them. The banquet had been splendid, filled with raw cuts of the best quality meat; freshly picked, uncooked fruits and vegetables; and an abundant supply of wine and blood from various vintages and areas throughout the kingdom. The Queen had truly out done herself in selecting not just the most nutritious foods to support a vampire of the King and her kind, but also the tastiest. And unlike the last time she'd tried to do something nice for him, this time the King genuinely seemed impressed and pleased by her efforts.

Vlad was reclining comfortably now, glass of vintage chardonnay in hand, and the aged leaf of a brandy soaked cigar lightly pressed between his teeth. But his eyes were fixed only on his Queen, as he continued to ponder the puzzle of her and this mysterious request she was to make. "That was truly a delicious meal, Seras," he began.

"I'm happy that it pleased you, my king," she replied.

"Vlad," he amended. "Titles are for subservient people, those below the station of the titled individual they are addressing... or for official decrees and third parties and such. But when you're addressing me directly..." the King paused for a moment as he tried to think of a way to phrase the rest of his sentence so that it wouldn't sound like an order, "it would please me if you'd use my real name."

Seras smiled. "As you wish, Vlad."

And Vlad grinned back at her. "Good. And now, I do believe the time has come, Seras Victoria, for you to reveal this request of yours."

Seras hesitated for a moment. This was it. Everything since she'd come to the palace, maybe even the central purpose to her whole life, was riding on this. This was the moment where God would use her to deliver her people... or else, her last moment as Queen and a free woman. Either way, her life was about to change forever. "I...I-"

"Go on, Seras, fear not, for I've told you, whatsoever you ask of me, it's yours, up to the half of my kingdom," the King encouraged.

And his voice was so unusually kind and soft, that it disarmed the stammering girl. Suddenly Seras no longer felt the pressure to choose her words for grace an eloquence. She didn't need to speak like a Queen or an ambassador now. Instead, her words were more familiar, more intimate. This was not a queen addressing her king; it was a wife addressing her husband. "Oh, Vlad, I don't want the kingdom, or any part of it. I never have. All I want is to be free to live my life the way I want to live it. And... and I want to live it with you. I never thought I would, but I do.

"I use to hate you... Well, maybe not 'hate', but I certainly resented you for what you did to me. And I feared you too. Feared, I was terrified of you. But now I've seen another side, a good, kind side, the side that cradled me and took care of me when I collapsed in your throne room. And that's the side of you I believe I could be content spending the rest of my days with.

"But... but I can't turn my back on my people. I can't forget that they are condemned to die, and that you are the only man with the power to save them. So, I must make my request for them, for the lives of my people - regardless of what that might do to the two of us. Please, Vlad, if I have truly found favor with you, then save my people, spare them from this terrible fate."

Crimson tears filled the Queen's eyes and streamed down the side of her cheeks. And the King found himself holding her to him, though he couldn't remember exactly when he'd risen and walked over to her. Had it come so naturally that he hadn't even realized he was doing it? Had she gotten that far under his skin? Then Vlad looked down at the girl, still weeping in his arms, and decided that he didn't care anymore. He'd sworn once before that he'd never succumb to the evils of Love again. But this girl... she'd broken him, and he didn't even care. All he wanted to do was to make her happy, to comfort her, reassure her, and cause her crying to cease.

"Shssss, it's okay. It's okay. I don't know who your people are, but I'll save them. I swear, I'll abandon the whole eastern front if I have to and let the blasted Chinese take the land of the Czars if they want it so badly. Just tell me who your enemy is, and I'll chase them to the ends of the Earth!"

Seras paused and looked up at him. "The enemy," she began and sniffed as she tried to stop crying and speak once again. "The enemy, my love, is before you," she informed and turned to look at Edward.

"You?" the King exclaimed in shock.

"I don't know what she's talking about," Edward defended. "America's not at war with anyone right now, haven't been for decades. And I'm no one's enemy... No one except-" And then Edward paused as things finally clicked into place. "She's one of them, your majesty. A subversive, a Christian!"

"No," Seras defended. "I mean, yes, I am a Christian. But we're not subversives; we're not plotting against you. We don't want to overthrow you. None of us do. Not I, nor Integra, who raised me, nor the community which sheltered and molded me in my youth. None of them hate you, Vlad, or want to overthrow you. Not a single conversation I've had with any of them has strayed to treachery. All we want is the right to live and the freedom to worship our God. And, before that Edict went out calling for our deaths, we'd always had both under your rule, why would we want to subvert it?"

"Integra?" the King questioned and cast a suspicious leer on Edward.

"Don't, don't listen to her, great King," the latter protested. "How long have you known me? You know I'm loyal. But what do you know of this girl? You've known her for less than six months... and how much have you seen of her during that time. Great King, they are schemers, tricksters - _all_ of them. And they've had a hundred years to plan this out. Doubtless she's just one more cog in their great machine, a pretty face to play upon your sympathies, should anything go wrong. She's using you, your majesty, and has been since the day you met - manipulating everything to get close to you and attack in the one place your breed of vampire is always vulnerable: the heart."

"That's a lie!" Seras protested, fresh tears spilling down her cheeks. "You know it's a lie!"

"Well, of course _you'd_ say that. And look, Great King, look how she turns on the water works whenever she needs to disarm you just a little bit more and manipulate you into doing what she wants!"

"SILENCE! Both of you, I will have silence!" the King roared and his hand went to his head as he considered the situation. His heart was heavy, and the betrayal stung as badly as any blessed silver object ever had. It cut him to the very bone, and pricked what remained of his soul. For there were only two people in the world that he trusted completely and without any reservations; and here they were, both accusing the other of treachery.

He looked done at Seras, the back of her small form still grazing his much larger one. They'd scarce moved a foot since he'd held her in his arms, yet now they seemed worlds apart. And then he looked at Edward, his most trusted advisor. The man whose wisdom and counsel he'd come to rely on for decades. And suddenly, Vlad realized that one of them was a traitor and had to pay for that treachery. He was about to lose one of them forever... but which one?

He needed to get out of there, needed distance, an opportunity to think without their faces staring at him, without emotions clouding his reasoning. "Both of you, stay where you are. Just, stay. I'll... I'll be back in a few minutes. I need... I need..." The king never did finish his sentence. Instead he just shook his head sadly and walked out of the room, hoping to find scope and clarity in the solitude of the night.

* * *

Well, I hope you all enjoyed. Next chapter we get Alucard's decision... though I suspect you probably already have a pretty good idea what that's going to be. ;P And then after the decision, there's still one more hurdle to be overcome. Hope you all enjoy. ;)

Have a good day, and God bless.

Metropolis Kid.

**To Katie:** Yeah, I never did completely get the postponement in the Biblical account either. But I've tried to have it factor a little bit more obviously into some of the things here. Hopefully, even if the reasoning still doesn't seem to concrete, the postponement seems to factor a little more obviously into the plot. Well, anyway, Thanks for the review, and I hope you continue to enjoy. ;)

**To Wolfie:** Glad to here that you're finding Mr. Sparkles so loathsome. :) And I hope his surprise when the Queen implicated him lived up to your expectations. ;) Thanks for the review. Glad to hear you're still enjoying this story, and I hope this chapter continued the trend. ;)

**To The Fallen One:** Yup, the sparkling and name selection was intentional. I needed a loathsome, prideful, and horrible being to cast for this stories Haman, and I figured who better than Mr. Sparkles himself? ;P Anyway, thanks for the reviews. I'm very pleased that you've been enjoying this story so much so far and think it's very well worded and "awesomesauce". :D And I hope you had as much fun with this chapter. ;)

**To Larisa:** Aww, don't too be worried. I like Seras too much to ever let anything too bad happen to her in one of mysteries. And Integra too for that matter. ;) Glad to hear that you're still reading and enjoying though. :D And I hope you found this chapter to be as much fun as the rest. ;) Oh, and yes, I definitely agree with the sentiments of your PS. Mr. Sparkles really needs to suffer horribly... in all his forms. ;) But I suppose I'll just have to settle for inflicting horrible, unspeakable suffering on him within my own 'fanfictions'. ;P


	16. Ye Shall Know Them By Their Fruit

**Beware Of False Prophets, Which Come To You In Sheep's Clothing But Inwardly Are Ravening Wolves. Ye Shall Know Them By Their Fruits.**

* * *

The cool, night air did precious little to calm the King. It was the end of the year: cold, quiet, with long nights and short days. It was the time of the year that Vlad usually loved, as the world seemed bathed in a purifying death, awaiting rebirth the next season. Only the stoutest, most enduring flowers and plants still blossomed in the garden of his courtyard. And that, too, he usually enjoyed, seeing which among them had the strength of will to endure the hardships the longest. He always felt a certain kinship with that survivor, end its eventual death served as a constant reminded that, no matter what we may do, sooner or later time catches up with us all. There was no eternity in this life, and Vlad knew it, just the long, cold, bitter night, and those with the strength of will to endure it as long as possible. Nothing lasted forever.

But tonight he took no pleasure from any of this. For tonight was to be an ending, and so the usually solemn reminder offered no comfort. Indeed it seemed... somehow mocking. There were only two people in centuries that he had come to trust implicitly. And one of them was a liar and a traitor. But which one? His confidant and trusted advisor for years? Or the sweet, innocent, with the face of an angel and a heart of gold? Which was the wolf in sheep's clothing? Which one was the traitor?

* * *

"We can still fix this," Edward bargained.

"What?" Seras asked, astonished by the statement.

"Think about it, the King has left to ponder our contradictory testimony, and when he returns, he's going to sentence one of us to death. Are you so sure it won't be you?"

Seras thought, then shook her head. "No."

"Neither am I. And I'd rather not take the chance."

"What, exactly, are you suggesting?" Seras asked.

"Perhaps," Edward began slowly. "Perhaps neither one of us is a liar and a traitor. What if, now bear with me here, what if we both got it wrong, but we were also both right? Does not the truth often lie somewhere between contradictory testimonies? Suppose there was a Christian plot... but not as far reaching as I assumed. Perhaps only a quarter... or a tenth of your people were involved? Then the rest would be innocent, and there would be no reason to kill them. Think about it. Ninety percent of your people would live, because of you... and neither one of us would be in danger any longer."

"But ten percent would die!"

"Yes, but what's that? One out of ten? Is that not a better deal than continuing in this gamble and risking all of them... and yourself? If we agree, if when the King returns we tell him that we've talked and worked it out, if we stand together and our testimonies agree, he will surely listen. And you, you could save millions of lives throughout the kingdom."

"By condemning hundreds of thousands to death?" Seras paused, and her face looked grieved. There was logic in what the Grand Vizier was suggesting, a cold-blooded, calculating logic. She could save her people, accomplish the purpose for which God had brought her to the palace, and she could save herself as well... but only by condemning a tenth of her own people to death.

Could she live with herself if she did that? Would she even want to? But what if the King sided against her? It was a very real possibility after all. He may have offered her half the kingdom, but when it came down to a choice between her and his Grand Vizier, he'd hesitated. He was off somewhere, pondering their testimonies, and he could very well choose to believe the lies of the one he'd known for years - possibly even longer than she'd been alive, possibly _much_ longer. Could she afford to pass this opportunity up, the opportunity to save millions of lives? Could she risk it all by continuing to gamble on a man she hardly knew? Her heart said yes, but her mind screamed no.

He'd practically exiled his last Queen simply because she'd failed to come when he called. How much could he really have cared for her? And how much could he really care for his current Queen? Seras's head urged her to take the deal, to save as many as she could... and spend the rest of her life begging a far more forgiving Lord to cleanse her of the blood she could not save.

But then, when it came to a choice between heart and head, Seras had always been one to choose the former over the latter, for she reasoned that if the Holy Spirit ever communicated with God's chosen it would be through changes of the heart, through emotion and soul, not through that cold logic which so appealed to the mind. _'The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever He will,'_ Seras remembered and shook her head. "No." She would continue to trust in her heart, trust that the Lord would turn _that'_ whithersoever He willed'. Her head would only get in the way.

"Please," Edward half pleaded as he began to move closer to the Queen. "Think about what you're doing. Their lives are in your hands. Are you really going to throw all that away?" he asked in shock as he continued to advance.

And then a sound, like black boots clanking against stone, was heard outside. And Edward turned his head to the entrance while he continued moving towards the Queen. His foot came down lightly on an apple, one that had slipped from the table sometime during the feast, and slid. He turned back too late, and that unexpected, slight slide, was enough to upset the Grand Vizier's balance. He fell... right into Seras.

The latter screamed as she fell back and landed with the former atop her. "What are you doing? Get off of me!" Caught completely off guard, She instinctively struggled beneath him, her movements serving only to upset his own attempts to find purchase for his hands and push himself up.

And it was then - as Seras was screaming for Edward to get off her, and they both were struggling and flailing upon the ground - that the King re-entered. "You!" he bellowed with a snarl, and everything else stopped immediately. Both the Queen and the Grand Vizier remained as they were, motionless, and quiet before the face of the enraged, advancing King. "I gave you clothes, finery, prestige, power, influence, station... _trust_. And this - _this_ - is how you repay me? You would attempt to rape the Queen? My favored bride? And in the palace itself nonetheless? Our home?" Vlad shouted as he reached down and pulled Edward off of Seras. He gripped, the Grand Vizier by his throat, tightening his fist to the point where it would've snapped any normal man's neck in two. "You _will_ pay for this outrage!" the King decreed, in fury, his eyes wide and mouth spraying a bit of angered drool upon the fidgeting, smaller man's face. "Oh_, you will pay_."

"No, Great King," Edward choked out. "Please listen. It's not what you think. I-I tripped, and fell. That's all." Edward paused and turned to Seras, "Tell him," he pleaded in a panicked voice. "Tell him!" he insisted, his self preservation instinct overriding everything else and forcing him to call upon his only witness, despite the fact that they were enemies and he'd been seeking the destruction of not only her, but millions of her people as well.

And the King, too, turned on his Queen, his eyes a blazing inferno and seeming as if they could star directly into her soul. "I-I," Seras began, and felt the need to close her eyes to avert the King's gaze. But, it did no good. She could still _feel_ it upon her, burrowing ever deeper into her. And she knew that she could not lie to him if she tried, not while he was staring at her like that anyway. "I-It is as he says. He tripped and fell." A single crimson tear escaped the Queen's eye as she realized that she'd been given the chance to insure the Grand Vizier's downfall, and she had not possessed the strength to take it.

"Seras," Vlad called, all traces of anger having vanished utterly from his tone. If anything, he sounded comforting. "Open your eyes."

And Seras did open her eyes, only to find him still staring at her, but now with a proud grin, rather than a wrathful gaze.

Then the King turned back to Edward. "And this is the woman you'd accuse of being a liar and a traitor? A spy sent here by insurgent forces, to manipulate me. I saw you fall. I entered the room just as you did. I knew it was an accident. But I used you, to test her and prove her heart. Even when offered everything she wanted, she would not lie to get it. A poor spy, don't you think? But you... _you_" - Vlad growled - "have deceived me. You have lied to me and manipulated me to allow you to launch an attack on my own innocents who have done nothing wrong. And you have slandered your Queen - and in my very presence! You, Edward Cullen, are a liar and a traitor. And I will have to think up something special for your punishment!"

"Wa-" Edward began, but the King tightened his grip further, crushing the former's voice box and stopping him mid-word.

Vlad turned back to Seras. "Call your mother to the palace. I would meet this woman who twice demonstrated her loyalty to my kingdom... and raised such a fine daughter. Call for her, and when she arrives, we will discuss this traitor's edict."

Seras smiled and nodded.

* * *

"The problem, you see, is that the edict - though it was based on lies and treachery - has already gone out, and it bears my seal," the King explained. "If I repeal it now, I'll be going back on my word. It could spark a revolution."

"So... you won't help us?" Seras asked in a puzzled tone. She'd thought that she'd succeeded in getting him on their side. He'd had her summon her mother to the palace and everything. Why would he do that if he was going to let that murderous edict stand? Even still, now, it sounded like that was exactly what he intended to do.

"I will help you, Seras," the King assured. "I'll even suffer a civil war, if need be, to do so... but I'd like to find a way to avoid that if possible. Hmmmm, I don't suppose you'd all be willing to _officially_ 'convert' to another religion, just until after the time of the edict has passed?"

"We would rather suffer the slaughter and die," Integra answered before Seras even had a chance to.

"Yes, yes, I thought as much. Perhaps you could flee?" The King suggested. "Seras should be safe within the palace. Attacking my Queen here would be considered an act of treason, edict or no. Perhaps we could arrange safe passage for the rest of you. I could divert the troop transports distributed throughout my kingdom to the job of evacuating the Christian populous. I believe the city of Rome and some of its surrounding areas are still in Catholic hands. They might be willing to provide temporary shelter until this edict passes. Then you could return."

"Return to what?" Seras asked. "The Edict would still go into effect. All our land and possessions would be forfeit. Even if we escaped the slaughter, we would have nothing left and most of us would end up spending the rest of our lives as beggars or refugees."

The King sighed. "True," he consented. "Well, I'm open to suggestions."

"Let us fight," Integra replied rather boldly.

And the King raised an eyebrow at the middle-aged woman. "Fight?"

"Yes. The first edict stripped away our protection under the law and left us vulnerable to our enemies. Send out another that does the same to them. Put us on equal footing; allow us to defend ourselves, and, by God, we will defeat those who've risen up against His people."

The King seemed intrigued by the idea. "I couldn't send you aid, you know? Not without breaking that first edict. You'd be on your own, likely facing superior forces. The odds would not be in your favor."

"We don't need odds. We have the Lord, and if He is for us, no one can stand against us."

At this the King actually grinned. "You know, you remind me of someone I use to know... a long time ago," he replied in a semi-nostalgic tone before turning to his queen. "And what do you think of this idea? Do you agree with your mother? Do you share her... 'faith' that your God will grant your people victory?"

"I don't believe that He's led me here and brought all this about just to abandon us now. Yes, I have faith that if we must fight, then he will grant us victory."

"Very well," the King responded, "the two of you may have your request. Go, and work out the details. Write up a new edict detailing what you want, use one of the palace scribes if you need any help with the phrasing. Then bring it to me to read and sign. So let it be written; so let it be done."

Integra, still unwilling to bow, snapped to attention and fired off a salute instead. "It shall be done as you have commanded, Your Majesty."

Then the mother turned to leave, and her daughter began to follow her. But the King called out, "Seras, I would speak to you in private for a minute."

Both women stopped. "Go on ahead, Mum. I'll catch up." Integra nodded and continued on alone.

Seras stayed behind with Vlad, who turned a glare on the stenographer still typing away, off to the side. "I said 'in _private'_." The young, bookish man gulped, then nodded and left the room as well.

"What do you intend to do on the day the traitor's edict goes into effect?" the King asked his queen plainly.

Seras hesitated for a moment and considered the question. "If my people are to fight, then I must fight with them."

And Vlad hung his head. "I don't suppose there's any way I can talk you out of that?" he asked.

"Short of locking me up, no," she answered honestly. "And you wouldn't do that. You said I was free to come and go as I pleased, remember?"

"Yes, I remember. I also remember that that deal was predicated on you drinking the blood provided for you each night... and that you broke that deal when you went on your fast," Vlad informed and watched Seras's reaction carefully.

But he did not observe relief at the idea of having an 'out', an excuse to stay safe and avoid risking her life alongside the rest. Instead he saw a profound disappointment, and so the King sighed once again. "No, I will not prevent you from going. But I will add a line to whatever edict your mother and you come up with, a clause offering ten times your weight in gold to anyone who returns you safely to the palace. That should make your enemies be far more interested in capturing you, rather than slaying you. It may not guaranty your survival... but I fear it's the best I can do for you, without breaking my word... or losing respect in your eyes."

"I... Thank you, but I'd rather you didn't. The rest of my people won't have such protection. It doesn't seem right that I should."

"I doubt many of the others will have my blood coursing through their veins to help keep them alive either. You're different already - special," Vlad replied, and paused for a second. "And this... this is my non-negotiable condition for signing the new edict, I'm afraid. You'll just have to _live_ with it," he then continued with a wink.

And Seras smiled again. "Alright, Vlad, you've got yourself a deal." She offered her hand, but instead he shook his head, then bent in to graze her lips with his. She opened her mouth, and the kiss deepened. And they stayed locked like that for a few seconds, their lips pressing firmly together, as his tongue explored her mouth, the two meeting for the first time without her life hanging in the balance. And when he finally pulled back from the kiss she was left looking quite pleased, a little coy... and surprisingly flush given her un-dead status.

"And, what, pray tell was that?" Seras asked playfully.

"A kiss... to seal our deal of course," Vlad answered with a mischievous grin. "Now, you'd better get moving, before your mother starts worrying."

"What? I'm just alone with a rather striking vampire, in the seat of his power, what could possibly... Hmmm, I see your point. Best not to worry Mumsy _too_ much," Seras laughed and then turned to leave.

But the King called out a parting comment that made her check her step once more. "Good luck, Seras. I pray that your God is... 'kinder' to you, than He was to me," the King spoke in a surprisingly solemn tone.

And for the first time Seras found herself wondering about Vlad's life before he'd become a vampire and the stuff of nightmares. She did not voice this curiosity however, realizing that it was hardly the time for personal revelations about the past. No, instead she merely continued onward, but she did resolve to ask her king more about his life, when time and opportunity allowed.

* * *

Well, I hope you all enjoyed... though I doubt I managed to surprise any of you with who the King chose to believe. ;P Well, anyway, hope you're still enjoying and had fun with the new update. One more chapter (and a possible epilogue) left and then I should be able to stick a fork in this one. ;)

Have a good day, and God bless.

Metropolis Kid.

**To Larisa:** Thanks for the review. :) I'm glad to hear that you're still sticking with this and enjoying the ride. Also, glad to hear that you thought the last chapter was sweet and it left you eager for more. :D I hope this one didn't disappoint and you continue to enjoy. ;)


	17. And The LORD Heareth And Delivereth Them

**The Righteous Cry, And The LORD Heareth And Delivereth Them Out Of All Their Troubles.**

**AN:** Sorry that I wasn't able to update this on Tuesday, like I'd planned. My school rearranged my schedule at the last minute, and that resulted in me not having the time to type up the new chapter when I was expecting to. :( But I tried to get it to you all before _too_ much time had passed. Well, hope you enjoy.

* * *

A Copy of Integra's Order To Save The Christians:

King Vlad Dracula sends the following order to the governors of the 127 provinces and to all our loyal citizens, from the Emerald Isles to the Holdings of the Czars:

It is a sad fact that many people become arrogant and corrupt when they are honored and their authority is increased through the rich generosity of those who support them. Since they do not possess the force of will to handle their prosperity wisely, they look for ways to abuse their power over those placed under them. Often they even come to plot against those who've supported them, and attempt to mislead those who've placed their trust in them. They get swept up by the praise of others, and think that there will be no reckoning for the evil they commit.

Many times people get appointed to positions of authority because they have powerful friends, and they can sometimes deceive, lie to, and tricks others into condoning the murder of innocents and other unjust actions. All this is due to those who mislead others and use their influence and twisted reasoning to persuade people against the sincere intent of their rulers.

Anyone who wishes to prove these words can find ample evidence of this trend throughout history. Not just in our ancient history, but this truth is clearly evident in even our most recent past, in the terrible things that have been done by those appointed to positions of authority in our own time. As an example, let us look at the former Grand Vizier.

Edward Cullen was a foreigner who became the guest of the King. He was not English, nor even of the same vampiric breed as the King. And he was not kind, though he fully enjoyed the kindness that was shown towards him and the people of every other country (save our enemies). He certainly enjoyed the kindness shown him by the King and reveled in the fact that people showed him honor and continually bowed down to him... not because of any greatness of his, but rather simply due to the fact that the King had made him second in the Kingdom. However, even all of this was not enough for him, and he was unable to control his own arrogance.

For this reason he did lie to the King and deceived him. As Grand Vizier, Edward Cullen used his position to betray the King and our kingdom. Through deception and subversion he called for the blood of an innocent people. He even desired the blood of your Queen, Seras Victoria, as well as that of her mother, Integra, a women who twice demonstrated her loyalty to our kingdom by helping to foil plots against the King. Through his treachery Edward Cullen sought to destroy the fair and just laws and practices that this magnificent nation is built upon and thus rob us of our greatest assets.

The former Grand Vizier has paid dearly for this treachery. To any who wish to see this for themselves, I invite you to view the new pole that has been erected right outside the King's courtyard and observe the punishment that await traitors to our kingdom. However, unfortunately, this man's treachery was not discovered until after the edict he so lusted after had already gone out, and the damage that he accomplished remains to this day.

Edward Cullen called for the destruction of the Christian people, a loyal and just people in whom the King has found no legitimate evil or treachery. But the former Grand Vizier schemed and lied to obtain the King's seal for his treacherous edict, and it has already been distributed throughout the kingdom. And it is our way that a thing once done cannot be undone, a law or edict once passed cannot be repealed. This saddens the King to no end, the knowledge that he was deceived into removing his protection from a loyal and trustworthy people. However, we live in a kingdom where even the King himself is not above the law, and he will abide by the provision of the edict.

Fortunately, the previous edict - written by the traitor - did not call for any governmental action against the Christians. Rather, for one day, it simply removed the protection they had under the law, and left their fate up to each citizen of this great nation. And the King, though powerless under the law to directly interfere, now begs of his citizens not to go through with this slaughter of an innocent people. And to those who have hardened their hearts and prepared themselves for the day of slaughter and will not be turned back from this evil course, the King now proclaims that, though the Christians are still left outside the protection of the law on that day of blood, so are any who rise up against them. The law will not protect butchers of the innocent, and the Christians are free to make whatever provisions and defense they deem necessary against those who seek their life.

Further, to prevent the widespread destruction of our land and cities, let it be known that a special place has been set aside for the battle. From now until the day of blood, which is the fourteenth day of the twelfth month of this year, all the Christians throughout the kingdom and all of their adversaries are to gather in the Lake District of Cambria. The Christians shall make their camp on one side and their adversaries shall camp at the other. The King will send officials to chronicle the names of those who've gathered on both sides, and everyone who enters the region must declare their affiliation, for though the law not offer protection to either side, the King will still suffer no traitors sanctuary within his realm. Anyone who may attempt to switch sides after entering the Lake District will suffer a traitor's fate.

Also, let it be known that the Queen herself - a Christian who possesses the determination and strength of will to stand up for what she believes in even though, as Queen, she is entitled to the safety and security of the palace - has elected to stand by her people and join in the battle to save them. The King is pleased in the strength of will and unwavering conviction that his royal consort has shown by this decision. However, he is also concerned for her safety and grieved by the fact that he is prevented from taking direct action to protect her during this conflict. Therefore, he has elected to offer a reward of no less than ten times the Queen's weight in gold to any non-Christian who will return her safely to the palace following the day of blood.

* * *

It was a chilly wind which cut over the peaks and ripped through the valleys of the Lake District of Cambria on the evening prior to the day of blood. And Integra gripped her thick coat closer to her body as she stared out at the camp of their assembled enemies. The undead creature next to her seemed indifferent to the cold, though she did feel a different sort of a chill run down her spine. "We're not going to make it, are we, Mum?"

"God willing, we'll make it, Seras," the older woman replied with an icy determination that rivaled the snow capped peaks which rose above the two encampments.

"But... look at them. There's as many of them than there are of us... and most of them are vampires."

"They can't move against us 'till after midnight. We'll sure up our defenses as best we can and try hold them at bay. We only need to make it through twenty-four hours, and then the edict will pass."

Seras shook her head. "We'll never make it, not with the force we've got. There's just too many."

"I know." Integra hung her head and let a moment of silence pass. "But we have to have faith. If God wills, He is more than able to open up a way for us to triumph."

"I know," Seras echoed her mother's previous reply, but with a more optimistic tone. "Even still, well I never knew so many of them hated us so much... and even once the King made it plain that we've done nothing wrong."

"I'm not surprised. The path of hatred is easy... especially when fueled by jealousy."

"Jealousy?" Seras asked, sounding a little confused by her mother's statement.

"Even if they kill us, we're going to enter into eternal rest and joy. And though they may outrun Death for centuries, eventually it catches up to everyone. They are a damned people, and they know it. So, they hate us, because they hate our Father."

Seras stared strangely at her mother. "Does... does that include me?"

And the question seemed to take Integra by surprise, for she just stared back, mouth slightly ajar for a minute. She'd always thought that vampires were damned creatures, simply by virtue of what they were. That was the teaching she'd grown up with. That was the teaching she'd passed onto her daughter. But as she stared at her child, she couldn't bear to think of her soul burning in Hell... once it eventually transcended her body. And, looking back at how things had developed, it certainly seemed as if God Himself had manipulated the circumstance to bring them here, that He'd had her get turned in that cathedral to give His people a voice before the King. And what kind of a God would He be if He were to condemn a loyal and loving servant to Hell, just because of a status that He manipulated the circumstances Himself to inflict upon her? He certainly wouldn't be the God of love, compassion, and understanding that the New Testament talked of, certainly wouldn't be the kind of God Integra believed in and thought worth dying for.

"There... are exceptions to every rule," the mother replied and did her best to hide the concerned, confused tears in her eyes as she pulled her daughter to her.

The sun was setting now, tingeing the sky a deep burgundy. It was as if blood had been poured out to stain the air above them, and the two stood and stared at the sight for a moment, reflecting on how frightening it was, given what was to come before that sun once more rose into the sky above. Then, a gruff voice broke in from somewhere behind them.

"Eve of the battle and you two are out here staring at the sky. Waste of perfectly good time, if you ask me. You'd be better off staring at the enemy encampment, trying to pick apart weaknesses in their defense."

Seras turned sharply. She knew that voice. "Jayne? Jayne Casey? What are you doing here?"

Casey grunted. "What do you think I'm doing here? I came to hunt, brought my whole unit with me too," the Major said as he motioned to the pack of Lycans gathered just behind him. They were all ready for war, decked out in weathered uniforms and hefting monstrous weapons that seemed specifically designed to combat those things which went bump in the night.

Integra's brow furled. "I thought the King said that he couldn't send us any help?"

"He didn't... well, not technically. Me and the boys just put in an early request for our one month leave... And the King seemed only too happy to grant it, once I told him where we were planning on vacationing that is. Who knew there'd be a battle taking place on the very spot we selected for our temporary hunting grounds?" Major Casey replied with a subtle grin. "But since you're all here... well, we wouldn't be opposed to burning off a little steam before beginning our vacation proper."

Seras smiled. "I... thank you."

"Not a problem, Ma'am," Casey replied with more than a hint of respect to his tone. "Oh, and we got you something," he then continued and motioned to the shortest Lycan in the unit, a tiny, bearded man with hair that stuck up a little at the center. "Alright, Grimes, bring her up."

And the tiny man carried forth the largest personal gun Seras had ever seen. Actually, she wasn't even sure it was designed for personal use until she saw the grip and trigger. It looked more like the turret from a light tank!

"Alright, here you go, one _Harkonnen Cannon_ model 2.0," the tiny man informed as he set the humongous, personal canon down at Seras's feet.

She just stared at it for a second or two. "Um... what's that for?"

"That's for you," Casey replied with a prideful grin. "This time I'm keeping Vera."

* * *

It was two past ten, and the Christians were still doing what they could to bolster their defensive line, while the Lycans drank, sang, polished their weapons, chewed on strips of dried, salted beef and otherwise celebrated the fight that was to come. Casey lit up a cigar as Integra barked orders at the defenders. Seras just sat off to the side, doing her best to remain inconspicuous. Despite her mother's assurance that there were always exceptions, she still felt out of place. And the occasional glares and vacant-eyed stares of the less open minded of her fellow defenders did nothing to alleviate this feeling.

The Lycans were apart too, but at least they had each other, their pack, their family. But with her mother otherwise occupied and so far from those she'd become close to in the town guard and the palace, Seras was left alone, with nothing but her thoughts... and her fears for company. She supposed she could've found acceptance among the Lycans. They were here primarily for her after all and had presented her with an impressive gift when they'd first arrived, but she had no desire to join in their celebration of the slaughter to come.

Although a drinker of blood the Guardswoman was far less bloodthirsty than the cursed humans who seemed to care little if they lived or died, just so long as there was a worthy hunt before them and they had a purpose in this life for as long as it lasted. Perhaps they believed that, like in the old movies and stories, their curse would be broken upon their death, their souls freed, and that was why they so celebrated the chance to fight. Or perhaps they simply figured that a life like there's wasn't likely to last long anyway, so they mine as well squeeze every last drop of excitement they could out of what they got. Seras didn't know. But she did know that she could not bring herself to celebrate the senseless slaughter that was to come, and so she was separated from them as well.

And it was in this solitude, set apart from all those around her, that Seras bowed her head in reverence. She prayed for her soul and begged the Lord once again to deliver her people and open up a way for them to make it through the coming battle. And then, as her prayer ended and she looked up once more she saw two pinpricks of red light coming out of the woods to the side of the camp.

At first she thought it might be a single scout, come to spy out their defenses, but then another pair of red, dimly glowing eyes joined... and another. And soon that whole area of the woods seemed filled with an army of vampires, all making haste towards the Christian encampment.

Seras sprang up from the large stone she'd been sitting on and ran to her mother. "It's starting!" she proclaimed almost frantically. "The vampires, they're here!"

"What?" Integra replied in surprise. "No, they can't be. We've still got more than an hour and a half before the edict goes into effect."

"Doesn't matter; I saw them."

"Where?"

"In the woods, over there," Seras answered and pointed.

"Bloody Hell!" Integra swore and gave the order to start repositioning the defenders. They'd been expecting a straight up frontal assault from the enemy camp. Most vampires seemed to favor straight up combat, and they already had the superior fighting force. Who'd have expected that they'd decide to get clever?

The defenders repositioned, and, though ordered to hold their fire until they got a clear shot, one young kid just couldn't keep his arm from shaking. And his pawn shop rifle went off in his hand. A shot streaked through the night and went barrowing towards the red studded darkness, and then a cry was heard from the advancing vampires.

"Shit! One of those little fuckers shot me!" yet another voice that Seras recognized - though this one she couldn't quite place - rang out. "Don't shoot! Don't fucking shoot, you little fuckers! We're on your fucking side!"

"Hold your fire!" Casey shouted. "I know that man," he continued with a grin.

The Christian's looked to Integra, their unofficial leader in this struggle, and she supported the Lycan commander's order. Whoever was coming out of the woods may have been a foul mouthed vampire. But he'd promised aid, and they weren't exactly in a position to be turning down help.

"Alright, we'll hold our fire... for now. Show yourself," Integra shouted into the darkness.

"Awfully demanding bitch, aren't you?" the voice called out as a tanned, heavily pierced vampire stepped out from among the trees. He was then quickly followed by a fair blond who took the opportunity to slap his younger brother upside the back of his head.

"Must you _always_ be so vulgar?" the older brother chided. "Can't you see that you're in the presence of our Queen."

"Blah," the younger brother replied. "I didn't censor myself when she was a fucking Guardswoman, and I'm not going to fucking do so now... especially when we're coming to save her pretty, round ass."

The older brother just closed his eyes and rubbed his head. "Please, forgive Jan, he's an uncultured swine."

"And fucking proud of it!" Jan affirmed.

"You two!" Seras called out in shock as she recognized the two brothers standing before her. "What are you doing here?"

"Ah, so you remember us then? The two royal recruiters who gave you the invitation that led to all this."

"Yeah, I remember... never thought I'd see you again though. Which brings me back to my previous question: what are you two doing here?"

"We've come to protect our Queen," the older brother replied.

"And collect the King's gold," the younger one chimed in, for once not bothering to interject an unnecessary swear word. "Speaking of which, how much _do_ you weigh anyway?"

"What?"

"My brother speaks of the King's reward, ten times your weight in gold to any non-Christian who sees you safely back to the palace following this upcoming battle."

"That..." Seras began and paused for a moment. "That was meant to be a ransom," she finally replied in an odd tone.

"Perhaps, but if so the proclamation was incredibly vague: 'no less than ten times the Queen's weight in gold to any non-Christian who will return her safely to the palace following the day of blood.' It placed no restriction on what side the non-Christian fought on."

"So... you brought all these people to..."

"Bunch of bloody mercs. But the bounty was too fucking good to pass up, and too fucking dangerous to pursue without fucking help. So we raised a fucking army."

"A few others already had the same idea, and we joined with them. We gathered as big a force as we could and marched just in time to make the battle, an-"

"And now, we'd like to know just how much fucking gold we're risking our fucking lives for. Come, tell us, what do you weigh?" Jan cut in enthusiastically. "Hmmm, I'll bet there's at least twenty fucking pounds just in those fun bags!"

Suddenly a gruff, deep laughter erupted from the Lycan commander standing behind Seras. "Look at them all! The King's going to empty out his treasury financing this war."

Seras forgot Jan's rude comment, and turned to Casey. "You... you don't think he planned this... do you?"

"I wouldn't put it past him. He's a clever one; that's why we follow him."

"Okay, we've got our own vampire army," Integra broke in, "now the question is, what do we do with it."

"Send the Queen, the vampires, and my pack in to counter attack the enemy forces, and keep the civvies back behind your barricades, providing whatever support they can from range. They wouldn't last long in a straight up fight anyway."

"Knights in heavy armor in the front, archers in the back and on the wings, picking off targets as they present themselves," Integra mused aloud. It was an old battle strategy, and one that, several centuries ago, had made the English one of the most feared fighting forces on the planet. "It could work, but how are the vampires going to feel about being cannon fodder?"

"Doesn't matter. They're here for the King's gold; they'll stay by the Queen no matter what. And maybe we'll even lose enough of the mercs to avoid bankrupting the kingdom," Casey replied sardonically.

* * *

And so it came to pass that on the day of blood, which was the fourteenth day of the twelfth month in the year of our Lord two thousand and five, that an army of the damned and the cursed came to defend God's children before their enemies. The battle proper lasted less than an hour as the inexperienced horde, gathered out of hatred, threw themselves at the practiced soldiers and mercenaries, gathered mostly out of greed, and were broken. The enemy attacked with three waves, and though the mercenaries losses were great, their line held... and continued to advance until finally the hate filled mass broke and ran in fear. And thus the deliverance of God's chosen came - primarily - through the actions of those damned and cursed individuals who spent their lives trading blood for coin, the faithfulness of a girl who'd been turned into a monster and yet somehow still managed to hold onto the better part of her humanity, and the wryly wisdom of a King who'd turned away from the Almighty centuries earlier.

* * *

And there we have the last full chapter. Sorry about skipping over the actual battle, but this chapter was already running so long that it came down to a choice between skipping over the battle... or some of the character interactions. And given that written words are a rather second rate way to show a large scale battle to begin with (movies and pictures do a much better job since they're not forced into telling little snippets and can show much more happening at once) I figured that it was better to just summarize the battle and key in more on the character interactions that the written word is better suited for anyway. Well, I hope you enjoyed the last chapter, and won't hold my battle summary too hard against me. There will be a short epilogue, which should be up sometime this next week and will finally show just what punishment Mr. Sparkles suffered for all his evil plotting.

Have a good day, and God bless.

Metropolis Kid.

**To Wolfie:** Yup, Mr. Sparkles got caught and tripped up in his own lies. And boy is he ever suffering for it; ah, but more on that in the epilogue. ;P Anyway, thanks for the review. :) I'm glad you had fun with the previous chapter, and I hope you enjoyed this one as well. ;)

**To Larisa:** Thanks for the review. :) I'm glad you enjoyed the previous chapter, and I hope this one lived up to your expectations. ;) Also glad to hear that you caught and enjoyed the few little references to Vlad's past and got a kick out of Mr. Sparkles fruitless attempt to cut a deal to save his own hide. ;D Well, thanks again, and I hope you thought this chapter was just as good a combination of classic elements and new, fresh additions. ;)


	18. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

"There are far worse things awaiting you than death." Those words repeated over and over again in Edward's head. They had become the mantra that echoed in every cavern of his mind... and screamed whenever he would attempt to move his body.

The former Grand Vizier, once the second most powerful individual in the kingdom, had been made an example of. Falling back on his ancient form of punishment, Vlad had had the traitor impaled, a titanium spike driven up through his rectum until it protruded from his open mouth. Human victims of impalement typically suffered for up to three days as the metal rod which pierced them also formed a makeshift clog to slow the loss of blood. Three days of absolute agony, as the victim remained suspended half way between life and death and any attempt at movement caused the metal rod to scrape fresh against guts, organs and flesh, sending shooting pains through the still active nerve endings. Three days of thirst, of hunger, of misery, and of shame. Vlad considered it a most fitting punishment for traitors.

It had been more than a month since the day of blood, and the former Grand Vizier still hung on the tallest pole in the kingdom, a warning to any others who might even contemplate subversion. He'd long since gone mad, not just from the physical torture - although that alone probably would've been enough by now - but from the mental and emotional anguish as well.

He was on display, made a mockery for any who might pass by, his sin revealed to the whole would and all his glory stripped away. And possibly worse, the King had had him posed so that the traitor's head stared through one of the windows to the throne room, and through that portal Edward was forced to watch the world of splendor, power and wealth continue on, a constant reminder of what he'd had and lost.

He could not turn away, or even close his eyes. His could not close his eyes because his lids had been ripped from him, and the remaining flap of flesh was seared to prevent any possibility of regeneration. And he was unable to turn away do to the way he'd be posed - his jaw broken open and the top of his head bent so far backwards that it snapped his neck. The metal spike at the tip of the poll protruded from the traitors open mouth, just as his venomous lies had done, and his head was bent backwards to view the world from an eternal wrapped perspective, as he was given no choice but to watch palace life pass him by.

And that psychological aspect of the punishment wounded the prideful creature nearly as much as the physical suffering. Indeed, today it wounded him even more. For this was the day that he watched his position fall to his most hated enemy.

* * *

It was warm in the throne room. The royal banners were hung with pride, and the nobility of the kingdom was assembled, though they had not been told why they'd been called forth. More than a few seemed surprised by the fact that a second throne now rested to the right of the King's and that they stood not only before him, but the Queen as well. It was something previously unheard of in Vlad's kingdom. For, in the past, the King had always ruled, and the Queen merely governed in his absence. But the presence of that second throne sent a very clear, if unspoken, message. The rules had changed and now the Queen and King would rule the kingdom together, not as master and servant, but as partners.

Yet, this surprise was small when compared to what followed. For once everyone was assembled the King stood and told them all why he'd called for them. "Dukes, earls, barons; lords and ladies; the nobility of the kingdom; my friends: I have called you here today to deliver a lesson. No matter who you are, no matter your station or breeding, the same rules apply to all. The guilty, and the treacherous will be punished!" So saying, the King moved his hand to indicated the pitiful creature hanging outside the window; and then he paused for a moment, both to let that part of the lesson sink in fully, and to add emphasis to the next.

"And the loyal and capable shall be rewarded," Vlad then continued, motioning to the throne room doors, which slowly, and with great ceremony, were pulled open. A single human stepped forth. "You may remember this women from her march through the city, or from her many years of loyal service as a gatekeeper. You might even remember her from her youth, spent as a kitchen server. Perhaps she even brought you a tray or a meal at some point. She was born a commoner and has remained a human all through her life. Yet she repeatedly proved her loyalty, capability, and sound judgment. Trice she has been instrumental in foiling plots against our kingdom. And this is the day that she is to be rewarded for all her loyal service. Ms. Integra Hellsing, daughter of Arthur Hellsing, son of Abraham Helsing - the very man who took up arms to oppose my rise to power - step forth."

Integra obeyed and approached the raised platform on which the double thrones rested, and the King took a step forward, placing himself on the very cusp of the platform. He extended his scepter and touched it to her as he continued. "You are Ms. Integra Hellsing no longer, but _Sir_ Integral Hellsing. And all within the kingdom, save myself and my queen, are to address you as such. For your position is no longer that of gatekeeper, but rather that of knight, defender of the realm, and - should you choose to accept it - my new most trusted advisor."

Sir Hellsing immediately snapped to attention and saluted. "It would be an honor, My King."

Seras had to suppress a small chuckle. She knew that her mother wouldn't bow, as was customary, and she'd explained it to the King when he'd first told her that he was considering Integra to fill the vacant position of Grand Vizier. Seras knew that he was willing to accept the salute as an alternate sign of respect, even still she found the whole situation a little amusing, especially the odd looks the display was generating among the nobility gathered.

"Then so it shall be," Seras broke in, taking up the part that Vlad had given her in this ceremony. "All the lands, wealth, and other holdings of the previous Grand Vizier are yours," she recited as she placed an elegant, purple cloak around her mother. "May you live long, prosper, and serve your king, queen, and kingdom well... all the days of your life."

* * *

Well, I hope you enjoyed the epilogue. Thanks for reading. ;)

Have a good day, and God bless.

Metropolis Kid.

**To Larisa:** I'm glad to hear that you enjoyed the final chapter and thought it was a wonderful twist to have Casey and the V-Bros show up like that at the end. :D Thanks for the review. :) And I hope you enjoyed the epilogue as well. ;)


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